Tangled 2
by Gyrforce
Summary: Princess Rapunzel and husband Prince Eugene Fitzherbert are back...and they have kids! When their baby daughter Princess Sera is kidnapped, their six-year-old son Prince Derek and his friend Thomas must save her. Meet the old characters and more!
1. The Prince

The castle halls echoed with the pattering of running feet and the delighted squeals of children. Prince Derek, son of Crown Prince Eugene and the Lost Princess Rapunzel, ran out of the castle and into the back courtyard. He paused and hastily glanced around the enclosed area, over the fountain, at the doors. He spotted an open door and grinned. He dashed off just as his friend, Thomas, entered the courtyard through one of the side entrances. Thomas spotted Derek and ran after him.

"Derek! Derek! Wait for me!" Thomas hissed loudly.

At the open door, Prince Derek turned around and smilingly waved Thomas in. They giggled and rushed around the room, looking for places to hide. In the end, Thomas hid in a cabinet above a counter along the back wall and Derek hid under a table against the wall to the left. He pulled the tablecloth down a little and waited. His heart beat in his chest and he puffed slightly. _Father won't find me here,_ he thought proudly. He held his breath and smiled as footsteps approached the open door.

The doorway darkened and Derek threw aside the tablecloth, pouncing out and shouting, "BOO!"

The man who had walked in was carrying a glass orb and when Derek shouted, he started so badly that he tossed the orb into the air. Derek suppressed his laughter as the man juggled the orb in the air, trying to catch it. He caught it and rolled his eyes in relief.

"Oops. Sorry Mister Farren." Derek giggled. His laughter bubbled out and more came from the cabinet.

Farren was the royal advisor. He had advised King Aldric and his wife Queen Isabelle and now he would advise the Lost Princess Rapunzel and her husband Prince Eugene. He was a stern man, older, with graying black hair and a hawkish nose set beneath calculating brown eyes. His mouth was always pressed into a thin line and he constantly seemed to be ever-so-slightly frowning. He turned his stern gaze upon Derek who looked at the ground and shuffled his feet.

"Master Derek," he intoned. His voice, despite his appearance, was warm yet stern. "If I have told you once, I have told you dozens of times before. The rooms here are off limits."

Derek frowned guiltily. A giggle burst from the cabinet. Farren's gaze drifted to the partly open door.

"And _you_ Thomas."

The giggling stopped.

"You should know better. Your family has worked in the castle for years. Now climb down from there and both of you out, please."

Just then, the patter of boots running in the courtyard made everyone face the door. Eugene Fitzherbert-he had stopped going by Flynn Rider, except on the rare occasion-stood at the door, panting. He leaned against the door lintel and took a deep breath. Looking up he saw Farren, Derek and Thomas. The latter two were snickering profusely.

The Prince Eugene cleared his throat and stood up straight, pulling down on his vest to remove the wrinkles.

"Farren. Er, thank you for finding them."

Farren raised an eyebrow. "Indeed."

Eugene stood there for an awkward moment before clearing his throat. "Well. C'mon boys, the tutor's looking for you."

The two boys groaned and squeezed past Eugene into the courtyard. Eugene grinned, embarrassed, at Farren.

"I'm sorry Farren, I'll, uh, have a talk with him."

Farren walked to the counter and closed the cabinet Thomas had climbed out of. "Yes, do that."

Eugene hesitated a moment, then shrugged before turning to leave. When he had turned, Farren's voice stopped him. He looked over his shoulder.

"He's an adventurous lad, Highness. I would advise you to keep an eye on him."

Eugene turned his head to watch his son Derek and Thomas splashing water in the courtyard fountain.

"As you know, the king is sick. Master Derek will one day become the crown prince. We wouldn't want anything…untoward happening to him."

Eugene's face grew thoughtfully worried. Farren, in a way, was right.

"Rapunzel and I…we'll, er, we'll have a talk with him." Eugene said.

Farren grunted approval. "Good."

Farren did not turn, but listened as Eugene left the room. He examined the orb in his hands. It had been a close thing when the young Prince Derek had frightened him. He put the orb on a small tripod pedestal next to a big book on the counter. He did not want anything to disturb his plans.


	2. A Death

Hey all!

My story is still in the works, but I think I've got a good enough idea of where I want it to go, so I'll try to update every week on Thursdays. Until then, here's the second chapter of Tangled 2! I hope you enjoy!: )

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Derek laughed as Thomas splashed a handful of water on his clothes. The courtyard fountain trickled and bubbled as the water fell down the three steps into the pool. Derek retaliated by splashing water on Thomas. Thomas' eye caught Eugene leaving Farren's room.

"Derek, your father's coming."

Derek stood and looked up. Eugene's face was clouded.

"Father, what's wrong?" Derek wondered.

Eugene snapped back to reality and grinned at the boys. He reached out and ruffled his son's brown hair. Brown hair, green eyes. _Just like his mother,_ Eugene thought.

"Come on, you two. Let's get back to your tutor."

The boys groaned. Eugene smiled and raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Well, if you two can finish your studies for today, we just might go see Max." He tempted.

The boys looked at each other excitedly. "Max!" With that, they were pulling at Eugene, urging him to hurry.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there! We'll go see Max, don't worry."

The three of them began walking across the courtyard to the castle. Eugene followed the boys, listening to them chatting eagerly and laughing about Farren.

"And then he was glaring at you-"

"Yeah! And he was like, 'and _you_ Thomas!'"

Eugene's mind wandered to what Farren had said about talking to Derek. Eugene loved Rapunzel and hoped she would be able to help make Derek…well, understand the dangers of an overzealous adventuring spirit. Eugene thought about himself and laughed at his own childishness. The two boys glanced back at him. Who was he fooling? Adventures were in the boy's blood! Keeping him safe, well, that was another matter.

~~~~o0o~~~~

The tutor's lessons were grueling. Derek was doodling caricatures of the tutor on his chalk slat. The tutor, a short, old and boisterous man named Bram, looked especially funny when Derek drew his nose bigger. Derek sighed as Bram droned on, writing on a chalkboard. His back was almost constantly to his pupils as he wrote. _And he still wonders how we get away,_ Derek thought impatiently.

He looked at Thomas who sat on a small bench next to his own. He was making a chalk stick moustache, pursing his lips and smiling. Derek snickered. Bram looked over his shoulder.

"Boys, are you paying attention?" He inquired.

_No,_ Derek thought. Instead he said, "Yes."

Bram turned away and Derek rolled his eyes at Thomas. Bram wrote one final addition problem on the board and put his chalk down. He faced the boys and Derek hastily wiped his slat.

"That's today's lesson, then. Master Derek, Thomas, you are free to go."

Derek and Thomas smiled at each other and patiently put down their chalk and boards. As soon as they were out the door, they were racing through the halls. Rounding a corner they nearly missed colliding with Eugene who dodged them clumsily, crashing into a suit of armor. The boys flinched as the armor crashed down and Derek's father with it. Eugene sat stiffly in the pile of metal. Derek gingerly lifted the visor of the helmet that had fallen on his father's head. Eugene did not look amused. Derek gave him an apologetic grin.

~~~~o0o~~~~

After cleaning up the armor, Eugene took the boys to the guard's house just outside the palace and on its left side. The soldiers there were drilling in the practice yard with their weapons and parading in the yard. Max walked among them, continually eyeing their frying pans and spears. Pascal sat upon Max's head, enjoying the ride.

"Hey, Max!" Eugene called.

Max's ears pricked up and he looked around for the source of the voice. He saw Eugene and the boys and neighed cheerfully. Trotting over, he nudged Eugene in greeting. As he usually did, he bent over to let Derek and Thomas stroke his mane and scratch him behind the ear. Pascal climbed down Max's head and onto Derek's shoulder, squeaking happily.

"So, Max, how about a ride?" Eugene crossed his arms and smiled.

Max scowled at Eugene and nickered.

"What?" Eugene laughed. "Not for me."

Max's face softened and he looked down at Derek and Thomas. They folded their hands and smiled pleadingly. Max let out a whinny laugh in agreement.

~~~~o0o~~~~

They spent some time watching the soldiers and Max before leaving in the early afternoon. They went into the city below the castle and to the harbor to watch the ships come and go. In the late afternoon, when the sun was first readying to set, they bid goodbye to Thomas who had to go home now. Eugene walked through the city to the castle carrying Derek on his back most of the way.

"Father?" Derek asked.

"Yes, Derek?"

Derek bit his lip a moment, thinking. Eugene waited patiently.

"Is Grandfather still unwell?"

Eugene's face fell slightly. He hesitated, opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped walking. He gently let Derek down and knelt on one knee to look his son in the eye.

"Yes, son, he still is."

Derek nodded once. King Alfred had fallen ill some weeks ago. No one knew why or how, but he was sick. And getting worse.

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"Can we visit Grandfather?"

Eugene smiled. "Yes, I suppose we can."

He let Derek climb on his back again. They reached the castle as the sun was setting and from there, they went to the royal bedchamber where King Alfred lay. When they arrived at the doors, the two guards with worried faces opened the bedroom doors. The room was dark, the curtains drawn. The only light came from some candles on the wall sconces. Queen Isabelle and the Lost Princess Rapunzel were sitting next to the bed. Eugene and Derek approached the bed quietly. Rapunzel turned and smiled sadly at Derek before hugging him tightly.

"Hey, Blondie." Eugene whispered to his wife.

Rapunzel looked up and smiled tiredly to him. Queen Isabelle rubbed King Alfred's head with a damp cloth. Alfred lay under the covers, eyes closed; a tired expression on his ashen face. His breathing was raspy and slow.

"How is he?" Eugene whispered.

Queen Isabelle put aside the cloth and rubbed her eyes. "He's tired."

The king shifted slightly when he heard their voices and he turned his head with some apparent effort. He opened his eyes. They were somewhat glassy and blank, but he smiled when he saw Eugene and Derek.

"You're here," he rasped.

Derek touched his hand which lay on the covers. It was cold, so cold.

"I must go soon." The king whispered slowly. It took him great effort to get the words out.

The king lifted his hand and brushed Rapunzel's cheek. "My daughter. My sweet, beautiful Rapunzel. These six years with you have been the most wonderful time of my life. I cherished every moment."

Rapunzel bit her lip and tears welled up in her eyes. The king looked to Eugene.

"Eugene. I am glad to have known you and proud to call you my son. Even, even if you are still a rogue sometimes."

Eugene smiled. The king looked at Prince Derek.

"My grandson. You are a great joy in my life. You must promise me, protect your mother and your sister."

Derek glanced at his mother and then at the cradle near the curtained window where his baby sister Sera lay sleeping. He gazed at the king, blinking back tears.

"I-I promise."

The king nodded once and turned to his wife. He brushed away the tears that were already falling down her cheeks.

"Isabelle. I do love you very, very much. When I am gone, do not worry for me. I will always be with you." The king sighed and looked once more at Rapunzel and Eugene.

"You will both be fine rulers. I know it." He closed his eyes and lay back on the pillow. "I…know…it," he whispered. With one last breath, he let out a sigh.

The king was dead.

Rapunzel turned and wept into Eugene's vest and he hugged her. The Queen cried silently. Derek's cheeks were wet with tears as he gazed upon his Grandfather through blurry eyes.

Somewhere inside his heart he knew that everything would be alright. He would keep his promise and keep his family safe. He had promised and he would never forget.


	3. Jailbreak!

Here's chapter 3 as promised. I didn't think I'd get it submitted on time, but I Hope you enjoy! More to come!

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The night was still all around the prison. Crickets chirped lazily underneath the twinkling stars in the heavens. All the purple flags on the battlements were at half-pole. A sentry with a spear called out over the harbor.

"The king is dead! Put out your lights, the king is dead!"

The cry was taken up throughout the city and total darkness engulfed the island. It was a sign of great respect.

In the prison, the sentries patrolled the gallows courtyard and the halls in the light of a near-full moon. A patrol passed the cells in one hallway and all was still.

In the dim moonlight, a hand reached between the bars of a cell and searched for the keyhole of the door. Something glinted in the moonlight as the hand gently slid it into the keyhole. The sound of a lock opening wafted in the still air; then a clang. Everything seemed to freeze. The crickets halted a moment, and then were chirping again. The hand disappeared into the darkness of the cell and the barred door squeaked ever so slightly in protest as it opened. From the darkness of the cell emerged two figures, their faces masked by the darkness. They shut the cell and stepped into the light.

It was the Stabbington brothers. Darrek with his ruffled red hair and muttonchops, a scar running down his right cheek and square jaw, and Henrik, eyepatch and scar on his left cheek and jaw, dressed all in black.

They crept through the halls, ducking into the shadows when a patrolling sentry passed their way. They crept all the way to the guard's room where their weapons were kept…amongst a dozen or so sleeping guards. As silent as cats, they padded through the room, searching weapon racks. Henrik retrieved his cutlass-like sword and a dagger while Darrek found his sword and belt.

As they were turning to go, a guard suddenly appeared in the doorway. Everyone froze.

"Jailbreak! Jailbreak!" The guard shouted and turned to flee down the hall.

The Stabbington brothers shared a glance before they, too, were sprinting out the door and down the hall away from a room full of waking soldiers. They ran down the hall past doors, opened and closed, and past windows that looked into the gallows yard below. The arch at the end of the hall echoed with the sound of clanking armor as half a dozen men with spears loped into view. Darrek led the way and ran into an open doorway which led to the yard. They ran down the stairs, skipping steps, as soldiers poured into the yard behind them. Darrek ran up onto the gallows, his faithful brother Henrik following.

They stood there, frying pans and spears surrounding them. Henrik glanced at his brother, an unspoken question in his eyes. The Captain of the Guard approached the gallows stage. Frying pan at the ready, he slowly mounted the stairs.

"You are surrounded! Give yourselves up!" The Captain had nearly reached the top of the stairs now.

Darrek Stabbington glanced down. He and Henrik were standing on the trapdoor. Darrek nudged his brother who glanced down. He saw the trapdoor and nodded almost imperceptibly.

_Come and get us,_ Darrek thought.

He hit the trapdoor lever and the Stabbington brothers disappeared under the gallows stage just as the Captain's frying pan whipped through the air. Under the stage, Darrek brushed aside the straw that was littered the ground and hastily opened a trapdoor leading into the earth. He had found it years ago when repairing the stage. He did not know where it led, but anywhere could be better than a cell. Henrik jumped in and Darrek followed. The soldiers were clamoring above them, searching around the stage. Eventually, they would find the trapdoor.

In the pitch black, Darrek pulled out a candle he had made while Henrik pulled out his dagger and a piece of flint that he had stolen. The flint sparked as Henrik rubbed his dagger across it. The candle flared to life and Henrik let it melt a little on his dagger before sticking it on the point. The trapdoor had led to a dirt tunnel with a low ceiling. Ducking low, Henrik led the way, Darrek close behind. They pushed aside cobwebs and roots as their booted feet scuffled and crunched ever so slightly on the rocks and dirt.

Henrik took a step and lurched forward without warning. His foot landed in some water with a splash. The tunnel had ended and brought them to a somewhat larger square room. Darrek emerged next to Henrik and they looked down at the water. They were in a drain of some sort. They looked ahead to see a metal ladder and together they craned their necks to look into the darkness above. Henrik blew out the candle and moonlight flooded the darkness. In the dim light, the Stabbington brothers looked at each other and smiled.

~~~~o0o~~~~

No one noticed the grate move. Everyone was asleep. So no one noticed the two hulking twin figures that emerged from the ground.

Darrek Stabbington glanced around. They were in an alley somewhere in the upper city. He looked back and saw the prison. Closer than he would like, but far enough that the yelling of the soldiers was inaudible in the still air.

"C'mon Henrik."

Henrik followed his brother through the streets. They had to find the main road from the palace to the bridge. Stealing a boat in the docks was out of the question. It would take far too long to get past all the soldiers and fishermen. At last, they found the road after a great deal of backtracking…but they were now just outside the castle gates.

Darrek stared up at the castle thoughtfully. Henrik stood at his left. From birth, they had always been together. Twins. They had always shared everything: the good, the bad, everything in between. Even before Henrik lost his voice, they even seemed to share thoughts. Each knew the other so well that Henrik could speak without speaking. Right now Darrek knew what Henrik was thinking.

"We still have a score to settle with Rider." Darrek muttered.

No matter how many names the man had, Eugene Fitzherbert would always remain Flynn Rider in the minds of the Stabbington brothers.

_We need to go,_ Darrek heard Henrik think. Or thought he heard.

Henrik was getting restless.

"Alright. But there's something we need to do first." Darrek muttered to Henrik.

He pushed the gate open and they entered.


	4. A Kidnapping

Hey all! I'm so so sooo sorry I didn't get this up on Thursday, but I didn't have access to a computer, so here it is now! : ) I hope you enjoy!

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Derek stood with his ear to the door. He was listening to his parents talking on the other side. Not that he could make out anything clearly. The heavy footsteps of his father approached the door and Derek hurried to sit down on the bench across from the door.

The door opened and Eugene looked out.

"Derek…"

Derek pushed off the bench and slowly entered the room. As he passed his father, he glanced up at his face. His mother was sitting on the bed of the candlelit chamber. His sister's cradle sat by the window, Sera sleeping inside it.

Derek climbed onto the bed next to his mother. She kissed his head. Eugene closed the door and came over, but did not sit on the bed.

"Mother, what will they do with Grandfather?" Derek asked.

Rapunzel pushed her hair back and gave her son a small smile.

"Well, they'll dress him up in his finest clothes. They'll put a crown on his head and there will be flower petals on his body."

Derek nodded. "And then what?"

Eugene picked up where his wife left off. "And then they'll put him in the tomb where all the kings go, deep beneath the city."

Derek imagined a deep cave where they put the bodies of all the kings. It was fascinating.

"Will you be put there, too?" Derek wondered, eyes wide.

Eugene smiled and sat on the bed, ruffling his son's hair. "Someday."

"And you will be, too. You'll be with us and your grandfather and grandmother as well." Rapunzel whispered.

Derek nodded sagely. Then Grandfather was in a better place, just waiting for them to come. The thought was comforting.

"But, doesn't that make Father the king?"

Rapunzel looked at Eugene, smiling.

"Not quite. My mother is the Queen. She will rule until she goes to be with Grandfather or until she gives up the crown to me."

"Then I will be the crown prince." Derek mused.

Eugene took a deep breath. He looked up at Rapunzel. Now it was time to discuss with their son what they had just discussed in private. Neither parent wanted to hurt their son, least of all say no to him, but the royal advisor Farren had made a point that was more valid now than before. The prince needed protection.

"Derek," Eugene began. "Derek, things will change."

Derek watched his father closely. He hesitated and Rapunzel came to her husband's aid.

"Derek, we need to speak with you about…well, about your safety." Rapunzel said gently.

Derek glanced between his parents. "But…aren't I safe here in the castle?"

Eugene stood and began pacing. "You will be the crown prince. There will be…dangers…that, well, uh…" Eugene rubbed his neck.

"You mean someone might try to kill me." Derek stated flatly.

"No! Well, yes, er…" Eugene reached for the right words.

"You will have a bodyguard." Rapunzel said.

Derek jumped down from the bed.

"No. I don't want a bodyguard. I'm six years old; I can take care of myself!" Derek pleaded.

"Derek, there are no two ways about it. You will have a bodyguard and you will have to behave yourself. No more games with the tutor, no more disappearing without a word," Eugene said.

Derek's lip trembled. "No! I won't do it!"  
"You will and that's the end of it!" Eugene snapped. Immediately he wished he hadn't but the damage was done. Derek shook his head and fled from the room, tears coursing down his cheeks. Rapunzel stood and took Eugene's arm. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, I-I just want to keep him safe." He whispered.

Rapunzel lifted his chin so he was looking at her.

"I do, too, Eugene. But we're asking a lot of him. He will have to give up a lot of his freedom. That's hard." She smiled at him. "You know that."

Eugene smiled back and took Rapunzel's hands in his own. He kissed the top of her head.

"I'll go talk to him about it." Eugene whispered.

Rapunzel smiled and brushed his cheek before he left.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Eugene found Derek curled up on the bed in his own bedchamber. He knocked once or twice before entering. A single candle on the side table lit Derek's form on the bed. Eugene sat down on the edge of the bed. Derek sniffed.

"Hey bud." Eugene said.

Derek didn't answer.

"Y'know, lots of people have bodyguards." Eugene said thoughtfully.

Derek rolled onto his back and looked up at his father. "Like who?"

Eugene wiped his son's face and drew the covers up to his chest.

"Like Flynnagan Rider." Eugene smiled. Derek loved those stories as much as Rapunzel did. And, oddly enough, they made Eugene happy when he told them, reliving them as he went. Of course, many of his own exploits found their way into his stories.

"Can you tell me a story?" Derek asked eagerly.

"Well, I don't know…" Eugene teased.

Derek sat up. "Please?"

Eugene smiled. "Alright. What story do you want to hear?"

Derek thought about it. He'd heard plenty of Flynnagan Rider stories from his father. He'd even overheard his mother and father talking about how Father had even had adventures under the name Flynn Rider. He wanted one of his father's stories.

"Tell me the story of how you met Mother." Derek requested.

Eugene chuckled, embarrassed. "Uh, well…that's a different sort of story."

Derek bit his lip. "But…Flynn Rider is in it, isn't he?"

There, his assumption was out in the open. Eugene had a very surprised expression on his face. Derek thought it looked funny. Eugene cleared his throat.

"I, uh…" He looked down at Derek. "How long have you known?"

Derek shrugged. Eugene ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed and looked at Derek. Then he chuckled and smiled.

"Alright. The tale of Flynn Rider and how he met the Lost Princess."

~~~~o0o~~~~

By the time Eugene finished his story, Derek was fast asleep and Eugene was tired. He blew out the candle, kissed Derek on the head and went back to his own chamber where Rapunzel was already asleep. He went to the cradle and looked in. There, in the folds of the blankets, slept his daughter Sera. He smiled fondly. It made him proud to be a father. He rubbed his daughter's golden hair and she smiled in her sleep. He imagined her bright blue eyes, the innocence and joy within them. Eugene kissed her little head before getting ready for bed and lying down next to Rapunzel. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Eugene woke with a start. Something had awakened him. He sat up and looked down at Rapunzel, who slept soundly. He looked around the room. Everything was the same, but something was…wrong. He swung his legs over the bed and Rapunzel groaned as she opened her eyes.

"Wha-what is it Eugene?" She asked groggily.

Eugene hesitated. "Something's wrong."

A scream tore the air. A scream of terror. Derek's scream. Eugene and Rapunzel flung themselves out of the room and sprinted down the hall, fear in their hearts. Derek screamed again. They reached his bedchamber doors and threw them open. Derek was struggling in the arms of a large, burly man in the moonlight. The man had Derek over his shoulder and his back to the door. Impulsively, Eugene tackled the man who dropped Derek. Rapunzel scooped up her son and took shelter behind the bed.

In the half dark, Eugene tried to fight the man as he stood. He swung his fist and hit something meaty, but a backhanded blow from the shadowy figure sent him backwards into a table which splintered under his weight. Stunned, Eugene sat in the wreckage as the stranger leapt out the window and onto the terracotta roof tiles below.

Several soldiers rushed into the room bearing torches. The Captain of the Guard was with them. He looked around.

"What happened here?"

A couple of soldiers helped Eugene to his feet. He gingerly touched his jaw.

"He was after Derek…" His voice trailed off and his gaze met Rapunzel's terror stricken eyes.

Eugene pushed through the guards and sprinted back down the hall to his bedchamber. He rushed to the cradle and looked in.

It was empty.


	5. The Journey Begins

Here's chapter 5! Thank you all for the views and the reviews! It means a lot to me. Enjoy! And I'm sorry for being late again. Family matters. (excuses excuses D: )

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It rained for the next two days. The sky was overcast and the rain came down as if the whole world was mourning the death of the King and the kidnapping of Princess Sera. The city certainly was. King Alfred was lain down in the catacombs beneath the castle and the villagers hung out their purple flags emblazoned with a sun to mourn him and the young Princess.

On the second day, search parties of soldiers and villagers came and went into the forest. Eugene and Rapunzel refused to have any sort of memorial built. They swore to find their missing child.

Some time past midday, the rain stopped. Eugene and Rapunzel stood in the courtyard in front of the castle, speaking with the Captain of the Guard. Max stood near them, at the ready. Several soldiers milled about, preparing to leave in the next search party that would accompany Prince Eugene and Princess Rapunzel. Derek would remain with Queen Isabelle and Pascal would watch him.

Derek watched from his bedchamber window as the soldiers below finalized their preparation, passing out torches. They would be out for a whole day. His father and mother were down there, Max waiting to carry them out on their search. Derek replayed in his mind the conversation he had had with his father.

~~~~o0o~~~~

"_Father, I want to help search, too! I promised Grandfather!"_

_Eugene sighed and ran his hand through his hair. His face was full of worry._

"_I know, Derek, but right now I want you safe, somewhere I know you'll be looked after."_

_Derek glanced over his shoulder. His bodyguard stood behind him, a few feet away. His name was Phillip._

"_But, Father!" Derek pleaded._

_Eugene knelt and hugged his son. Derek fiercely hugged him back._

"_I love you Derek. Your mother does, too." Eugene held him at arms length and looked him in the eye. "Promise me you'll stay here."_

_Derek nodded. Eugene ruffled his hair and stood. Rapunzel came to Derek and knelt down to hug her son._

"_We'll be back, don't worry," she whispered in his ear. She wiped her eyes and held her hand out to Pascal who sat on her shoulder. Pascal crawled into her palm and Rapunzel gently set him down on Derek's shoulder._

"_Keep an eye on him, Pascal." Rapunzel instructed._

_Pascal nodded. Derek watched as his mother and father spoke with the Captain of the Guard. He heard that the Stabbington brothers had escaped. Father, Derek knew, had mentioned them many times in his stories. It was thought they had attempted to kidnap Derek and had taken Sera…_

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek watched his parents get on Max and ride into town with the soldiers. Pascal squeaked and nudged his arm sympathetically. There was a knock at the door and Derek looked around. Queen Isabelle stood at the door with Thomas. Phillip bowed to the Queen as she and Thomas walked into the room.

"Someone thought you might need cheering up." Queen Isabelle said. She smiled at Derek.

Derek attempted to smile back. Thomas thanked the Queen for escorting him. The Queen smiled at him and left the room. Pascal laughed squeakily as Thomas came over and tickled him. Thomas sighed.

"What do we do now?" He asked.

Derek sat on a stool nearby. He shrugged and tickled Pascal absentmindedly. He was thinking. There _must_ be something he could do. And suddenly, there was. He blinked and stopped tickling Pascal. A plan began forming in his mind. He would go searching for his sister. He had promised his father to remain in the castle, but he had also promised Grandfather. He needed to find his sister.

Thomas was watching Derek carefully. He knew that thoughtful look, that adventurous light that glinted in his eye. Thomas smiled gleefully. Derek had a plan and he knew it would be good.

"Thomas," Derek mused.

"I'm in." Thomas whispered conspiratorially.

Derek grinned. "We're going to rescue Sera, Pascal."

Pascal happily nodded once before what Derek had said hit home. Pascal suddenly shook his head and squeaked in refusal. He pointed at Derek and then at the ground. _You're staying here_, he seemed to say.

"Don't worry, Pascal. We won't be alone. You're coming with us." Derek said.

Pascal squeaked fearfully and shook his head vigorously. He caught sight of Phillip and, squeaking frantically, ran to him. He climbed up Phillip's leg. Phillip flinched as Pascal's climb tickled him. He did a dance, trying to dislodge Pascal. He tried to brush Pascal off, but the chameleon was too fast. Pascal emerged from his collar and grabbed Phillip's collar cuffs. Phillip froze and his eyes met Pascal's. Pascal pointed at Derek and squeaked. Phillip glanced at the boys.

Derek and Thomas were giggling. Derek stood and gently removed Pascal from his bodyguard's shirt.

"Sorry, he's excited." Derek apologized.

Phillip stared, watching the chameleon. Pascal glared at him. Derek kept a firm hold on Pascal until he sat back on the stool. He gently set Pascal down on the windowsill. Pascal turned his back to Derek and Thomas, crossing his arms.

"Pascal, please. We've got to find her. I promised Grandfather."

Pascal glanced over his shoulder. His look seemed to say, _You promised your father, too_.

Derek bit his lip. Thomas chipped in. "Aw, c'mon Pascal. Don't you want to find Sera?"

Pascal softened. He turned around and looked up at the two boys. His little shoulders fell in resignation. He squeaked and nodded.

Derek and Thomas smiled. "Thank you, Pascal!"

Pascal squeaked and pointed at Phillip. Derek looked over his shoulder at his bodyguard. Unlike before when he was standing at attention, he was glancing around, worried about another chameleon attack.

"You're right. Thomas, we need to ditch Phillip."

Thomas grinned. "I think I know how."

~~~~o0o~~~~

Thomas had asked permission to sleep in the castle with Derek that night. He had said that Derek needed someone to keep him company. Thomas' parents had agreed. Thomas had then written two notes, one for Phillip and one for Phillip's sweetheart in town, Maggie.

"Are you sure it'll work?" Derek asked skeptically that night.

Thomas nodded. "Of course it'll work. He's been visiting her for weeks. She lives next door to us."

Derek laughed. The boys were sitting in Derek's bedchamber. The door was locked from the outside and a candle burned brightly. It had taken a lot of cunning, but the boys had finally gotten Phillip to leave his post for the night. The boys were prepared to go, but needed to wait a little longer until midnight when they would leave. A bell finally tolled down in the city and one of the guards called out the time. Derek and Thomas made sure they had everything.

They each had small leather drawstring bags with food, a water skin and Derek had a small dagger and his slingshot. They wore cloaks from Derek's closet over comfortable clothes. Their leather boots muffled their footsteps. Pascal climbed up on Derek's shoulder and Derek blew the candle out.

They used Derek's dagger to pick the lock and open the door. Peeking outside into the darkness of the hall, they made sure Phillip was gone. The squeezed past the partly open door and closed it behind them.

"I need to do something first," Derek whispered. Thomas nodded.

They went to the royal bedchamber where Queen Isabelle slept. The door was open. As Derek peeked in, he felt guilty for leaving. He pulled out a note he had written and set it on a table next to the door.

The boys set off.

~~~~o0o~~~~

They traveled through the city as quickly as possible, keeping to the shadows. Several times an alley cat scared them. They reached the harbor and Thomas led the way to a small rowboat.

"Father and I made this. It's for me. Sometimes he'll tow me in his boat." A guilty tone entered his voice, but the boys undid the mooring rope and pushed the boat off the pebble beach. The water splashed on its sides with a hollow sound. They climbed in and Thomas took the oars for the first leg of the boat ride.

Derek's face became grim. "Let's go find Sera."


	6. Rider!

Hey all! Since I was late on my last two chapters, I decided to post this one a little early in the week. I hope you enjoy it!:D

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The cave was damp, but safe. The fire on the pebbly ground kept things warm and bright. A thick curtain of vines and long, draping willow branches kept the light hidden. And that was what the Stabbington brothers wanted. They had used this cave as a hideout - after Rider - before their last failed attempt at riches. It was the perfect place to hide.

Darrek sharpened his own dagger, one of many throughout their hideouts. This was one of his favorite daggers. He had picked many a lock and slit many a fat purse with it and every time he proved successful. It was something of a good luck charm.

Henrik was roasting some meat. They had hunted for it and brought it back here. The smoke drifted up around it; fat sizzled as it fell in the flames. There were some supplies in the cave for a time like this, but Henrik thought something fresh would be good for a change. He sat on a log in front of the fire, turning the meat on a spit. He cut a piece off and tasted it. It still needed some cooking.

The Stabbington brothers sat in companionable silence, one cooking, the other working his blade. It was a typical situation, just like hundreds of times before. Just like a night before a big heist or a night in the forest. Sometimes they were alone, like now. Other times - which had been far more often - they were with their newest partner-in-crime. No matter who they were bunking down with, partnerships always seemed the same way: jail.

Big job or small job, whether for themselves or some crime boss, every time they teamed up with another reputable crook, they took the fall when the job inevitably went wrong. Rider was no exception. The brothers may hate his guts at times, but he was one of the only men that had ever stolen them blind, earned their respect and lived to tell about it.

After him, they had had a six year string of bad luck. No one wanted to work with them because everyone loved the Lost Princess Rapunzel and her parents. The noose was nothing but an empty threat now; no one committed crimes. The Stabbington brothers had been in and out of jail ever since the Lost Princess returned to her parents. It was more work than reward to get even a small sum of money in their pockets. They blamed Flynn Rider for that lack of riches.

Henrik cut off another small piece of meat, tasted it, and wordlessly took the spit off the fire, setting it on two forked rods upright in the ground. It could cool there as they carved it. Darrek sat up and waited patiently as Henrik cut some meat off. Putting it on a wooden slat, Henrik handed it to his brother. The loud crunch of a boat landing on the shore followed by footsteps splashing in the water made them freeze.

Voices, muffled by the curtain of greenery, made them stand and draw their weapons. Darrek sheathed his dagger and drew his sword. Carefully and silently they cat-footed to the entrance of the cave. Darrek gently brushed aside a willow tendril so he and his brother could look out without being seen.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek splashed around the side of the boat to grab the rope at the front. He and Thomas managed to drag it up onto the shore so the tide couldn't pull it out to sea. Pascal jumped from the boat to Derek's shoulder.

"What now?" Thomas whispered. Their voices could carry over the water and getting caught was not on their to-do list.

Derek reached into his bag and pulled out a map. It was one his father had drawn to show where in the Kingdom of the Sun Flynnagan Rider had his adventures. He opened it and another one to compare the two.

"My father said that there were lots of old hideouts that he kept small things in for later. Some money, food. Er, weapons, too, I think.

Thomas glanced around. He had never been so far from home before. Neither had Derek for that matter. Pascal didn't seem worried in the least. He was studying the map with Derek.

"You're sure about all this?" Thomas asked, worried.

Derek set his jaw. "Um. No. But I'm pretty sure."

Thomas cleared his throat.

"Well, the names are different on my map," Derek said indignantly. "Waterfall Gulch?" He pointed and Thomas looked. "Crossbones Gallows?" He scanned the map and his eyes found one name that rang with a recent familiarity. "Rapunzel's Tower."

"Father told me that story. How he met mother. When she was prisoner in the tower with the old woman, Gothel? He said mother was the only woman to ever tame him, Flynn Rider."

~~~~o0o~~~~

In the cave, the Stabbington brothers smiled and shared the same thought. This was the son of Flynn Rider. A young Rider. They pushed aside the willow branches just enough to slip out into the shadows. The two boys were standing on the pebble beach, looking at their map. The Stabbington brothers crept toward them in the fog and darkness. A twig lay in Darrek's path and he didn't see it. It snapped loudly.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek's head whipped up and his eyes grew wide. He grabbed Thomas' arm and pushed him toward the forest.

"Thomas! RUN!"

Thomas bolted into the forest even as Derek ran off down the beach, stuffing his maps into his bag. Pascal squeaked with worry and alarm. His pursuer's heavy footsteps crunched as they ran after him. Derek's cloak billowed out behind him as he ran, puffing. He jumped over a fallen tree and tripped on landing. He scrabbled on the stones, trying to stand, but something whooshed overhead, landing with a solid '_crunch!_' on the pebbles ahead of him. A sword glinted in the moonlight as Derek sat up and pushed himself back against the log in fear. The man was tall and swaggered as he walked. He chuckled menacingly as he strode up to Derek.

Derek curled up and tried to make himself as small as possible. A large hand reached down and gathered up his cloak and collar, lifting him dangling off the ground. Derek looked at the man's face and recognized him.

This was the face of one of the Stabbington brothers. Notorious thieves and cutthroats that so frequently visited his father's stories and whose wanted posters were pinned to the town bulletin board. One of the men that was thought to have kidnapped his sister.

Derek felt angry. He began kicking and struggling against the man with muttonchops and sword.

"Let me go! Let…me…go!" He shouted.

Darrek Stabbington laughed. "I don't think so, Rider!"

That halted Derek's struggling for a moment. The man had called him Rider! So, they really did know Father. If the stories were all true, then these men were angry with Flynn Rider and they knew who he was. The prince? That probably didn't matter as much as the fact that they had the son of Flynn Rider to bargain with. Fear gripped Derek's heart until he remembered his sister.

"Give me my sister!" Derek shouted. He began struggling and kicking again.

Darrek's face showed genuine confusion. "Sister?"

Unluckily for him, he lowered Derek just right in his confusion. A swift kick below the belt cause him to drop Derek and double up on the ground. Derek scrambled to his feet and fled into the forest, leaving the groaning man. He ducked into a bush as running feet approached. The Stabbington _brothers_, Derek thought with dread.

The second man, dressed in black with an eye patch over his left eye, helped his brother to sit up. Derek didn't see Thomas, so he turned and ran farther into the underbrush.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Henrik helped his brother slowly stand, a look of worry mixed with confusion on his face. Darrek bent over, hands on his knees. He took deep breaths.

"Darn that Rider!" He coughed.

An unspoken question came to his mind, a question in Henrik's mind as well. Darrek straightened up slowly and picked up his sword, sheathing it.

"He's looking for his sister." Derek wheezed. "He thinks we have her."

The brothers racked their brains for any information that Flynn Rider had had children. They knew of his son, but…a daughter? Too much time in jail.

"We'll follow them," Darrek said, answering the question in Henrik's eyes. "And we'll find them both. The boy and his sister."

They didn't have time to worry about the dying fire and cooling meat in their cave hideout. They needed to catch up with the son of Rider. Something was going on in the Kingdom of the Sun and the Stabbington brothers didn't want to miss it for the world.


	7. The Plot

This is a really short chapter, so I'm posting it now. I've got more coming next week Tuesday and/or Thursday! Sorry I haven't really replied to reviews, I've been writing and stuff. Thank you all for the reviews. It means a lot. J

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Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene returned to the castle with their search party late the next morning. They were haggard. They had searched all over the towns along the main roads and asked as many people as they could about their daughter Sera. No one knew anything; no one had seen anything. Rapunzel and Eugene dismissed their guards outside the castle gates. They gratefully left.

Farren and Queen Isabelle stood on the palace steps. The latter was wringing her hands worriedly. Rapunzel and Eugene dismounted from Max and approached them. Rapunzel hugged her mother tightly. Eugene glanced tiredly at Farren who seemed preoccupied with something else.

"Mother, where is Derek?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly as she looked around.

Queen Isabelle's face tightened with a mixture of guilt and pain. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a piece of paper.

"He's…he's gone, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel took the note with shaking hands. All of a sudden it was difficult for her to breath. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream…

She read the note to herself and read the last line aloud, "Me and Thomas have gone looking for Sera. We will be back soon, I promise. PS, Pascal is with us."

She collapsed and Eugene caught her, gently lowering her to sit on the ground. Tears were running down her cheeks. Queen Isabelle sat down next to her daughter and Eugene was down on one knee. Farren stared off at the forest on the island in the distance which was shrouded by a thin fog. Eugene read the note himself. Fear crept into his heart. The Stabbington brothers were out there. So were predators: wolves and other things.

"When did they go?" Eugene asked.

Queen Isabelle sniffed and rubbed her teary eyes. "Last night. Phillip is gone, too. I think he's gone after them."

Eugene stood and looked out at the forest. His son was out there. Somewhere. He trusted Phillip, but even that was hardly a comfort. He was already decided. He would go look for them. Rapunzel looked up at him. She knew what he was thinking. She stood with her mother and took Eugene's arm.

"I'm coming, too," she said.

Eugene looked down at her. He smiled sadly and nodded. Together, they went into the palace to prepare.

Eugene stopped at Derek's room. He stood at the door and sighed. He entered the room and looked around. Derek's things were littered across the floor. His closet was open, a drawer on the side table was, too. Eugene went to the side table and looked in the drawer. He smiled. Here Derek kept all the things that Eugene had made for him when telling Flynnagan Rider stories. His brows creased thoughtfully. Something was missing. Eugene rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a wax pencil and a small piece of paper. The paper had little 'X's on it with small lettering. A miniature map. That's what was missing. Derek's map. Eugene smiled. Like father, like son.

He put Derek's things back and went to his bedchamber where Rapunzel was all ready. He packed a small leather satchel with some necessities: food, some tools from his Flynn Rider escapades. He caught sight of himself in the mirror on the wall. He was the same, yet…different. He saw the old self-confident Flynn Rider setting out once more, but in his eyes he saw the haggard and worried father, Eugene Fitzherbert.

Rapunzel came up beside him. She was wearing her old pink dress and she, too, had a satchel over her shoulder. Flynn smiled. Rapunzel, with her short brown hair, big green eyes and button nose. Her feet were bare. Just like when they had first met. Well, almost. He turned and took her hands.

"Ready, Blondie?"

~~~~o0o~~~~

Outside, Farren and Queen Isabelle watched as Flynn and Rapunzel mounted the saddle on Max's back.

"You're going alone?" Farren asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, we won't be alone long." Flynn said.

Farren raised an eyebrow. His normally stern face was impassive. Queen Isabelle approached Max and took Flynn's and Rapunzel's hands in her own.

"Please, come back with Derek. Thomas and Phillip, too."

Rapunzel smiled. "Don't worry, Mother. We'll be back soon."

Queen Isabelle nodded and walked around to look at Max.

"Keep a sharp eye Maximus. Keep them safe."

Max nickered and nodded solemnly. Queen Isabelle stepped back.

"Ready Max?" Flynn asked.

Max neighed and they galloped out of the castle courtyard and through the gates. Queen Isabelle raised a hand in farewell. Farren glanced at the gray sky. Queen Isabelle went back into the castle, but Farren remained outside. He was standing still, but his eyes were restless. Something twinkled in the forest. He almost missed it, but it blinked twice more.

_Good, _Farren thought. _Very good._

A guard nearby asked, "Farren, did you see that?"

Farren smiled inwardly. "No. I didn't see anything." He turned and headed for the castle. "Nothing at all."

~~~~o0o~~~~

That night was warm. The sky had finally cleared and the stars were visible in the sky. The near-full moon shed its light on the Kingdom below. In the rear courtyard of the castle, a shadowed figure in advisor's robes gently pushed open a gate that led around to the front courtyard. The figure cast furtive glances left and right at the castle gates before slipping out and into the town, unnoticed.

In Farren's small room, there were a few parchments missing; a book here or there had been moved. Small things that nobody would notice. On the counter sat the small gray-blue orb on its stand, exactly where Farren had placed it. The moonlight entered the doorway of the room and fell on the orb. At first, nothing happened, but as the moonlight fell more directly on the stone, it began to glow. It emitted an eerie blue light and began to sparkle. With a small flash and a tinkling whoosh, a cloud of sparkling blue dust appeared all around the stone and drifted to the counter. In the morning when the castle maids would come and clean, they would find just a little more grey dust on the counter than usual.


	8. Tab

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story! Here's chapter 8!

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Derek shivered. He'd had a rough night. The sun had been shining a little with sunrise, but now it had clouded over again. A light fog had also settled on the forest. Pascal squeaked mournfully under Derek's cloak. Derek blinked and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He sat up and fear seized his heart as he looked around and then remembered. He took deep breaths to calm himself. He needed to find Thomas. That was first on his to-do list right now. He scooped up a shivering Pascal and sat him on his shoulder.

"C'mon Pascal. We need to find Thomas."

He inspected the forest through the fog. Everything seemed so different. So…so foreign. Birds called out and their voices echoed eerily.

"Somehow…" Derek whispered.

He glanced around once more and uncertainly walked forward. He stepped over roots, side-stepped bushes and ducked low-hanging branches. After what seemed like hours of walking, Derek stopped and took his bearings. He was feeling panicked. He'd passed that rock three times, he was sure of it. He looked up at the sky.

"Oh, if only it were sunny," He murmured. Pascal squeaked in agreement.

A twig snapped somewhere in the fog. Derek whipped around.

"Wh-who's there?" He called.

A bush rustled and Derek spun to face it. Slowly, he reached into his bag under his cloak and pulled out his slingshot. Without looking down, he picked up a rock and put it into the cup of his sling. He shakily stood tall as another twig snapped. Unsteadily, he drew back his sling.

"Wh-whoever's there, I-I'm not af-fraid!"

He licked his lips and glanced left and right. His heart beat heavily in his chest and he was panting. A bush in front of him shook violently; Derek took a step back, eyes wide. Suddenly, a flock of birds burst from the bush tweeting noisily. Derek screamed and tripped over his feet, landing on his backside. He turned himself over and crawled away. Pushing himself up he bounced back as he ran into something fleshy. The thing he'd bumped into screamed in fright. Derek curled up into a ball and covered his head.

"D-Derek?" A voice whispered.

Derek recognized that voice! He lowered his arms and peered between them. Thomas' head was poking out from behind a tree. Derek laughed at himself and sat up.

"Thomas! You're safe!"

Thomas chuckled nervously and helped Derek stand. The boys hugged briefly and then looked each other up and down. Neither were very clean.

"Where were you?" Derek asked worriedly.

Thomas turned and pointed into the forest.

"I got lost after I ran from the beach. I climbed a tree. But I think I found one of your father's hideouts, though." Thomas explained.

Thomas led Derek to a large tree a ways into the fog. As they climbed the branches, Thomas asked Derek questions.

"What happened to you? I heard you shouting."

Derek helped Thomas up to his branch with a grunt. "I got caught. But I got away."

The boys sat down on the small platform hidden by the foliage in the top of the tree. It was quite spacious; enough room for three or four men. Plenty for two six-year-old boys.

"It was the Stabbington brothers, Thomas." Derek said excitedly. Despite his dimming but recent fear it wasn't every day you met such legendary thieves.

"Wow," Thomas breathed. He'd heard all the Flynnagan Rider stories secondhand from Derek. The Stabbington brothers were almost second to none in their daring plots with the handsome thief Flynnagan.

"Did they really look like their wanted posters?" Thomas wondered.

Derek nodded solemnly. They sat there awhile to catch their breath from the climb. Eventually they ate some food from their bags and took a drink from their waterskins. They searched the platform thoroughly, but all they came up with was a small rock. The little black rock had some strange white paint on one side. When Derek found it, he shrugged and put it in his bag before forgetting all about it.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Sometime before noon, the boys left the tree. Derek put an 'X' through the corresponding landmark on his map and they'd gone looking for the next nearest hideout: Waterfall Gulch. According to the map, they needed to find the ravine that stretched across the map. From there, it would be guesswork to find the hideout.

After a few minutes of walking, they sat down in the shelter of a tree. The fog had cleared and the sky was considerably brighter. _By evening it'll be clear,_ Derek thought. _That would be good. No more rain._ Thomas sat up straight, head tilted, as if listening. Derek watched him.

"What is it?"

Thomas' lips parted slightly. He took a breath. "I hear shouting…and barking."

Derek listened. He heard it, too.

"You don't think…" Derek trailed off.

Thomas shook his head. "I think someone's in trouble."

Derek stood. "Where?"

~~~~o0o~~~~

Tab stood with his back to the ravine. He had his staff in his hands and he crouched warily, eyeing the three growling wolves before him. One barked threateningly. Tab swung his staff and it whistled musically as it went. A wolf feinted and Tab jabbed its nose with his staff. The wolf yelped angrily.

"C'mon you mangy curs! Come to Tab!"

He swung his staff again and then leveled it at the wolves. The sound of running feet and snapping branches in the forest ahead of him drew his gaze up. He blinked once in shock as two boys stood at the treeline, gawking at him. A wolf lunged forward a step and Tab stepped back in fear with a yell. His heel met empty space and loosed some dirt clods that fell far below to the ground.

"Lovely day, boys!" Tab shouted.

He swung his staff and felt the jolt as it hit a wolf's snout. He spun the staff in his hands and jabbed another wolf with the end.

Tab glanced up once. The boys were climbing a tree. Tab shrugged mentally, somewhat relieved they were safe. It was to be expected. A sharp '_snap!_' and the yip of pain from a wolf made him glance up again. One of the boys was sitting on a branch with a slingshot. Tab smiled inwardly. Bless the lad. The targeted wolf loped off into the forest.

"Alright, then. Enough of this." Tab muttered.

~~~~o0o~~~~

From their branch, Derek and Thomas watched the man in surprise. When they were older, they would recount this day to their children. The man brandished his staff with both hands and spun it deftly. Musical whistling filled the air and the man swung his staff forward, then up and jabbed multiple times. The two wolves' yelps and yips of pain followed each whistling attack. The man shouted fearsomely and the wolves tucked tail and ran. Derek and Thomas watched in amazement as the man approached them. He stopped just before their branch and leaned on his staff, smiling.

"My thanks to you, boys." He chuckled. "I've never been so helpless before."

Derek saw something flash in the man's eyes that told him the man wished he hadn't said that. Derek blinked and the look was gone.

"Would one of you mind grabbing my bundle up there?"

The man motioned to a blanket bundle hanging from a branch. Thomas grabbed it and both boys climbed down. The man held out his hand and they shook it.

"My name is Tab."

"I'm Derek and this is Thomas." Derek said.

Thomas gave Tab his blanket. Derek studied this man more closely. He had close-cut brown hair interspersed with some silver strands, and a few day's worth of stubble on his jaw. His clothes were a little on the raggedy side, a green tunic, a loose gray vest, pants and leather boots. Derek noted his callused hands. The hands of a working man. When the man opened his blanket on the ground, Derek's suspicions were confirmed.

A set of small knives and chisels in a leather pouch sat in his blanket. There was also a small flask that gurgled slightly and some dried fruit. There was something else that caught Derek's eye as well. A compass.

"Are you a carpenter?" Thomas asked, eyeing the chisel set.

Tab chuckled and grinned at Thomas. Thomas raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Yes and no. I make musical instruments. But I…haven't for a while now." Tab admitted. "Are you a carpenter?" Tab guessed.

Thomas shook his head no, smiling. "My father is a boat builder." He explained.

"Ah," Tab nodded.

Derek tore his eyes from Tab's blanket and belongings. He examined the ravine more closely. Envisioning his map, he looked around. He set his jaw. Judging by how their first night had gone, Thomas and he needed someone to watch over them. What was more, this man had a compass. Derek glanced down at Tab's compass. That would certainly come in handy.

Derek glanced at Thomas. Thomas saw the look in Derek's eye and nodded thoughtfully. He had been having the same thoughts. Thomas examined Tab's staff as the man packed his blanket, satisfied. There were holes in it the whole length.

"Is your staff a musical instrument?" Thomas questioned.

Tab winked and stood up. He took the staff in his hands. Just like before, he deftly swung the staff in the air and twirled it in his hands. The staff whistled and tooted selective musical notes. Tab stopped and the music did as well. Tab then bent over and put his blanket on his staff.

"It's mildly entertaining." Tab smiled.

Derek and Thomas shared a glance. This was definitely a man who knew how to keep himself safe. The boys might learn a thing or two from him. It certainly might prove more interesting than the castle's fencing lessons.

"Mr. Tab," Derek began.

Tab smiled and ruffled Derek's hair.

"Just Tab."

Derek noticed how fatherly the man seemed. He reminded Derek of his own father, Eugene. Pascal poked Derek gently under his cloak, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Why are you out here all alone?" Derek questioned.

Tab smiled and dodged the question. "I should ask you two the same thing."

"Well…" Derek hesitated. He glanced at Thomas for help.

"We're, uh, looking for something." Thomas said quickly.

Tab glanced between the two boys. He had an eyebrow raised and an unspoken question in his eyes.

"It's important." Derek added.

"You're all alone?" Tab's voice had that scolding tone that Eugene got when Derek had done something wrong.

"You could come with us." Thomas stated.

"Wait, what?" Tab's confused gaze went to Thomas.

Derek quickly played on his confusion. "Sure! And we'll show you the best places to hide out in the forest!"

"Yeah!" Thomas agreed.

"You can help us look, right?" Derek asked.

Tab glanced between the boys, more than a little confused. "I, well, uh -"

"Thanks Tab!" Derek said happily.

The boys spun on their heels, chatting and following the ravine. Tab cleared his throat and scratched his head. He had no idea what had just happened. He sighed.

"Well," Tab muttered. "I guess I'd better catch up…"

He shook his head and walked after the boys.


	9. The Snuggly Duckling

Chapter 9 is here! Later than usual. Or earlier, depending on your point of view. J

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Music wafted from the tavern. Somber, sad music from a piano. Inside the Snuggly Duckling, a dozen or so ruffians sat at tables or stood at various places in the main room. They all listened to Hookhand playing his sad piano piece. The music added to the already bleak atmosphere.

In one corner sat Vlad at a table piled high with small, ceramic unicorns. He picked one up in a bored way, examined it and tossed it onto the growing pile on the ground.

A small puppet theater was set up against a wall, forgotten. Fang sat at the table next to it, picking at a finger puppet.

Gunter sat at a table next to a crooked painting. He pushed it upright and it slid back down to a crooked position.

The ruffians all sat, dejected and bored, in the quiet Snuggly Duckling.

Hookhand stopped playing the piano. He sighed. Once again here he was, back at the Snuggly Duckling. Six years ago he'd been dreaming about becoming a concert pianist. Rapunzel came, his dream came true and for a few years he was happy. But, there was something that had begun to bug him. The fame he received the world over had begun to annoy him. So he had tiredly packed his things and hooks and left. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, he returned to the Snuggly Duckling.

He wasn't the first, either. There were still a few fellow ruffians that had stayed behind. But as time went on, nearly all of them had returned. Most of them missed their old life, some their old home. Most of them were tired, bored even, of their almost too successful lives.

Vlad had hundreds of ceramic unicorns. He'd counted them every day since bringing them here. He was one of the few that had returned with his dreams. Ulf had gone out and was still happily performing in cities and towns far from the Sun Kingdom. Big Nose on the other hand, he didn't return. He'd up and gotten married. Had a nice little house, too. He used to visit, but he was a family man now.

"Well, what now?" Hookhand called out to no one in particular.

Everybody looked up at him. It wasn't the first time this had happened. However, this time Hookhand didn't want to go back to his piano. He wanted to _do_ something.

As if to answer his question, the door flew open and two people stepped in.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Max nickered impatiently where Flynn and Rapunzel had left him. Flynn led Rapunzel to the door of the Snuggly Duckling and flung it open.

"Hello boys! It's good to be back!" Flynn called out.

The ruffians hardly spared him a second glance. At the sight of Rapunzel, they were all cheering and happily greeting her. They cleared a table and led Rapunzel to it, leaving a moody Flynn Rider behind.

Flynn glanced over his shoulder to see Max rolling with laughter outside the door. Flynn shut the door on Max and went to sit down next to Rapunzel.

Everyone was talking all at once, smothering Rapunzel with questions and good wishes. She smiled, a little embarrassed, until Hook hand shouted for silence.

Hookhand glared around at everyone before smiling sweetly at Rapunzel. "Your Majesty," Hookhand bowed.

More than a little humbled, everyone bowed to Rapunzel, the Lost Princess. Flynn cleared his throat. Hookhand looked down at Flynn who smiled expectantly.

"Oh." Was all that Hookhand muttered. He turned to Rapunzel. "Welcome to our humble home. How can we help you?"

Rapunzel looked to Flynn. He nodded once.

"You all know our son, Derek," Rapunzel began.

Everyone clamored excitedly. Of course they knew Derek! Everyone in the kingdom loved him.

"And our baby daughter, Sera," Rapunzel continued.

Again, everyone knew Sera.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. "Well, Sera was kidnapped."

The silence that followed was deafening. No one in the room spoke. Rapunzel bit her lip and covered her face with her hands. Flynn stood and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Derek went to look for her." Flynn said. "He and his friend are out in the forest alone. We want you all to help us find Derek and Sera."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. This was a…different sort of adventure than what they had all been hoping for. Flynn glanced around at the ruffians.

"Please," Rapunzel whispered.

She looked pleadingly up at Hookhand. He hesitated, his mouth open slightly as if he were going to speak. He sighed. Guiltily, he looked down at the ground. Rapunzel looked around, but everyone avoided her gaze.

Without a word, Rapunzel stood. She walked around the table and out the door of the tavern.

"Thanks anyway." Flynn said quietly. He left the Snuggly Duckling and the uncomfortably silent ruffians.

~~~~o0o~~~~

When the door had closed, the ruffians stood silently. The sound of a horse's footfalls faded before everyone glumly began to go back to their old positions. Hookhand sat down at the bench in front of the piano. He lightly ran his hand over the keys and set his jaw.

Well, he'd wanted something else. Something to brighten up his life, hadn't he? And he'd been given the chance, hadn't he? So why didn't he jump at the chance of an adventure? What was more, one for his beloved princess. Had he grown soft after six years of leisure? He looked down at his gold hook. With a deft twist, he unscrewed it, set it on the piano and screwed in his old iron hook. Standing up, he picked up the axe next to the piano and put it on his back. He hefted the frying pan that sat on the ground next to it and turned around.

Unsurprised, he saw that everyone was watching him. Mutely, he walked to the door of the Snuggly Duckling and opened it. He looked back and saw everyone standing up and hefting their own frying pans, ready to follow him out. He smiled grimly. Time to bonk some heads.

~~~~o0o~~~~

The sound of Max's hooves was thick in the fog. The forest was dark with the fog, but it was even darker because of the way the trees leaned in over the path. The sound of birds calling echoed all around them. Max glanced around suspiciously. Rapunzel and Flynn sat in his saddle, quiet and sullen. It seemed as if they would search for Derek, Thomas and Sera on their own.

A whooshing in the fog alerted Max. He stiffened and stopped walking. He glanced around, wary.

"What is it Max?" Flynn asked quietly.

Something big and black appeared and disappeared in the forest. Max nickered a warning. Flynn looked around and Rapunzel hugged him tighter. She tensed.

"Eugene…" Rapunzel whispered.

Flynn looked to his left and froze. In the fog, a tall, burly figure leaned on a sword. He watched as another figure emerged from the fog and another and another. All around them, burly men bearing weapons began to appear like wraiths, encircling them and steadily approaching. Max neighed in worry and reared, turning around only to face more of the brigands.

"Eugene, what do we do?" Rapunzel quavered.

One of the men got to close and Flynn kicked out at his outstretched hand. As if breaking a spell, the man cried out and suddenly all the brigands were yelling.

"Get them all!" One shouted.

Max reared up and stomped his hooves, kicking wildly and tying to drive the men off. Flynn kicked and swung his fists. It was all Rapunzel could do to stay on Max's back. But there were too many men.

They pulled Rapunzel down and one burly man held her as three more pulled Flynn from the saddle. It took five men to restrain Max and two more with ropes to keep him still.

One of the men, thicker and broader than the rest, approached Flynn and Rapunzel. He hefted his sword and examined it under Flynn's nose.

"Our boss will be happy with you. He's been waiting impatiently for you to come out of your castle." He sneered. A thick, foreign accent hung on his words.

A disturbance at the edge of the brigands caused him to turn.

"What's all this?" He snarled in his foreign accent.

Several meaty thuds followed several loud clangs behind him. Slowly, he turned and took a step back in surprise. Instead of his thuggish companions, a giant of a man stood over his ex-prisoners.

Vlad leaned forward, towering over the brigand. "Boo."

The brigand shouted and fright, tripping over himself to run away. The scuffle lasted only a few seconds as the brigands ran off into the foggy forest, leaving their prisoners and the ruffians behind.

Flynn stood next to Rapunzel, smiling. He nudged Max who whinnied skeptically. Rapunzel turned to Hookhand who made his way over to them.

"Thank you." She said. She stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his cheek.

Hookhand touched his cheek, pleasantly surprised. He smiled.

"Count us in."


	10. Waterfall Gulch

Tab hummed behind Derek and Thomas. The boys were consulting Derek's map while Pascal watched Tab. Tab glanced in the boy's direction and caught Pascal's eye. Tab raised an eyebrow in interest. Pascal blinked.

Derek licked his lips. He wouldn't admit they were lost. The ravine was to their left, just as it should be, but if the map was in the least accurate, the mark labeled 'Waterfall Gulch' should be _here_. He sighed. Thomas stood up straight and turned away, thinking. Derek folded the maps and stuffed them into his bag. Thomas kicked a rock into the ravine.

"Ready boys?" Tab asked.

He had guessed the boys were searching for something important. Probably treasure hunting without their parent's knowing, Tab had thought at first. But there was something in Derek's eyes every time he pulled out the maps. There was something that looked like desperation. A look Tab knew well. _They must be in some sort of trouble,_ Tab concluded.

Derek rubbed his hand through his hair, unaware of the way he resembled his father. Thomas was picking up rocks and tossing them out into the ravine. There was nothing for it, Derek concluded. The had to move on. Derek looked up at the sky. They'd been roaming up and down the ravine all morning and past noon. The sky was clearing up and the fog was all but gone, except in the shadowed ravine.

"Yeah, we're going. Come on, Thomas." Derek said.

Pascal heaved a little sigh. Tab picked up his things and waited patiently for Derek to lead the way. Derek started walking, but stopped and turned around at the forest edge. Thomas hadn't followed and was still tossing rocks down into the ravine. Derek sighed impatiently.

"Thomas! We're going!"

Thomas turned and waved Derek over. Derek looked over his shoulder into the forest, then huffed. He walked over to Thomas.

"What is it?"

Thomas picked up another rock and put a finger to his lips. "Listen."

Thomas tossed the rock. They all stood there, listening intently. At last, there was a little '_plsh_' sound. Thomas smiled at Derek.

"The waterfall isn't up here…"

~~~~o0o~~~~

They found a path down the sloped ravine wall that wasn't too steep, but wasn't very wide either. Derek led the way, inching along the ravine side followed by Thomas and Tab. He slid his foot forward a little and loosed a small torrent of pebbles. They clattered into the ravine below. Derek felt beads of sweat trickle down his face. Pascal clung to Derek's collar tighter.

"Don't go too fast," Derek whispered over his shoulder to Thomas.

They traveled down the ravine for another five minutes without harm when Thomas stepped on loose dirt and lost his footing.

Thomas yelled as he tumbled off the ravine path and into empty space. Tab leaned forward and made a grab for Thomas' cloak, but only grasped empty air. Derek managed to grab a handful of Thomas' sleeve, but was yanked forward himself. Tab grabbed Derek's free hand as the boys fell out into the air and they swung into the side of the ravine. Pascal fell from Derek's shoulder with a fearful squeal and caught Thomas' leg as he fell.

The breath was knocked out of Derek as he hit the wall next to Tab's leg. Thomas' shirt sleeve was almost ripped from his fingers with impact as well. Tab had Derek in his left hand and his staff in his right.

When Derek had caught his breath, he looked down at Thomas. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Thomas quavered.

Tab groaned with effort as he tried to lift the boys. The dirt under his feet crumbled and they all slid roughly down the sloped wall, their yells echoing around them. Tab's staff and blanket bag fell into the fog below as Tab grabbed a root protruding from the wall, abruptly stopping their descent. This time, the audible sound of ripping cloth came from Thomas' sleeve. Derek looked around desperately. There was a slight ledge next to him.

"Thomas! You need to climb up! There's a ledge here next to me."

Thomas looked down. He couldn't see the bottom of the ravine yet. The fog was still too thick down in the shadows. He looked up. His sleeve ripped a little more. Swinging his other arm up, he reached for Derek's arm and grabbed his wrist. Derek let go of Thomas' ripped sleeve and Thomas reached for the ledge next to Derek.

Just as Thomas grabbed the ledge, the root Tab held ripped out from the wall a few feet. Tab and Derek fell a little ways before jerking to a short stop. Thomas had let go of Derek to climb onto the ledge and with Pascal now stared helplessly down into the ravine at Derek. The impact of the stop had made Derek's hand begin to slip from Tab's grip.

"Derek, hold on!" Thomas yelled.

"Derek, you're slipping!" Tab said. "Derek, hold on! Hold - NO!"

Derek screamed in fright and his insides churned as he fell…five feet onto a bush that cushioned his fall and dumped him into a bramble patch next to a river.

~~~~o0o~~~~

The waterfall was nearly where it had been on the map. But the fact gave Derek little consolation. He itched and the scratches on his arms and legs stung. He sullenly chewed a piece of cooked piece of a fish that Tab had caught. Thomas sat across from him next to the fire between them. Tab was whittling a small reed with a thin knife from his leather tool bag.

The hideout was tucked safely away in a smallish cave under and behind a waterfall that flowed more than it roared. Thomas and Tab had looked through it as Derek had rested. They had come up with some rotted leaves they moved out of the cave and a small pouch of coins. Thomas had also found a small black rock with white markings. He had shrugged and put it into his bag.

By now, evening had waned and night was full on. The cave grew darker except for the fire which couldn't be seen from outside anyhow. Derek pulled his cloak over himself and lay down, using his satchel as a pillow.

Thomas came over and lay down next to him. Tab set down his blade and rubbed the reed pipe he'd fashioned. Pascal's little snores came from near Derek's feet where he slept soundly.

Thomas watched Tab carefully, making sure he wasn't listening to them. Satisfied, he whispered, "Do you think we'll find Sera, Derek?"

Derek sighed to himself. He'd been having doubts, too. "I…don't know." he confessed.

Thomas propped himself up on his elbow. "I think we will."

Derek smiled tiredly at his friend. "Thanks."

Thomas smiled and then lay down on his back. In a matter of minutes he, too, was asleep.

Derek lay awake. He listened to the fire crack and pop as the flames danced on the logs, licking up at the cave ceiling. He heard Tab stand and listened to the rustling of cloth as he went to the entrance of the cave. As he listened, he heard Tab begin to play a slow little tune on the reed fife he'd made. Derek's eyelids soon drooped. As he fell asleep, Tab's tune continued to play into the night.


	11. Farren

I've been pretty remiss in posting my chapters, so here's chapter 11. I'll try to post later this week and then on Tuesday next week. Enjoy!J

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The Stabbington brother's fire seemed small in the darkness of the surrounding forest. Darrek and Henrik sat next to the blaze, shadows dancing on their faces. Darrek stirred the embers under the burning logs with a stick. He pulled the stick out and watched the glowing end as it grew brighter, then dim and then bright again.

"Darn that Rider." Darrek muttered darkly.

On top of losing Flynn Rider's son, they'd gotten lost in the forest. They'd searched for hours for young Rider but had only wound up losing themselves. With no leads and the sun beginning to go down, they had just sat down and made camp. The waiting was beginning to take its toll.

Darrek was feeling restless and wanted something to do. His anger had been rising all evening. Henrik on the other hand had waited patiently. In the morning they could find their way out of the forest. Besides, his brother would come up with a plan. He always did.

"We're going to find that Rider. And his sister." Darrek muttered to himself.

Henrik looked up from the flames to watch is brother fume. Darrek needed to vent. Henrik shrugged mentally. Listening to Darrek could go on for a long time and wasn't always the most pleasurable experience. All the same, many great plans had come from Darrek's ranting before. It was best to let him rant.

"We'll live like kings, Henrik. Kings! We just need to get the boy and his sister. Rider will pay dearly to see them again." Darrek smiled darkly. He jabbed the glowing end of his stick into the ground. It hissed slightly. "And wouldn't it be a shame if didn't?"

~~~~o0o~~~~

Farren brushed aside the low branches of a tree and lifted his hooded lantern a little higher. He almost stepped through the bushes ahead of him when an angry voice spoke through them. Farren stood still and listened. As the voice spoke, Farren smiled wickedly. He peered through the branches and saw two men sitting in front of a pitiful fire.

_Perfect_.

~~~~o0o~~~~

When Darrek had boiled off his rage, he settled down. He felt immensely better. Which meant it was time to plan.

"But where? Where would the boy be?" Darrek wondered aloud.

The bushes rustled as a man in advisor's robes and holding a lantern stepped out into the firelight. Darrek and Henrik leapt to their feet, drawing their swords and facing the intruder.

"I could tell you." Farren said. His face was stern and in the half-shadows, it looked even more stern than it already was.

"Who are you?" Darrek eyed the older man suspiciously. He wasn't a great threat, but at the back of his mind he recalled the old woman Gothel who had attacked him and his brother all those years ago.

The man waved the question aside and set his lantern down. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"No one of consequence, but someone who shares your feelings for Flynn Rider."

Darrek relaxed slightly and sat down simultaneously with Henrik. Neither sheathed their weapons.

"Tell me more." Darrek prompted.

Farren's lips twitched up at the corners. "There is a place I know of where the boy and his friend will go. They will search for the boy's sister, Princess Sera."

The man paced around the fire as he spoke so that the flames were between him and the Stabbington brothers.

"Of course, they won't find her." Farren paused for effect.

Darrek and Henrik glanced at each other. Henrik raised an eyebrow on his expressionless face.

"Go on." Darrek said slowly.

Farren looked into the fire. "If you could help me, I'm sure we'll all get what we want." Farren glanced up at the Stabbington brothers. "You see, I need the boy. He is the key."

Darrek stood. "You have the girl?"

Farran looked up sternly. "Would I kidnap the princess?" Darrek didn't say so, but he certainly thought so. Farren continued without waiting for answer. "All I need is the boy. I don't need his friend. That's where we could help each other. You want revenge on Flynn Rider and something more … fulfilling than this."

Farren knew at once that he'd played his cards right. He watched the twin brothers exchange a glance. The man with the muttonchops lifted his blade and looked at it for a second before sheathing it. His twin stood and did the same. _Time to press the advantage,_ Farren thought.

"I want Flynn Rider and his family for my own … reasons. You get for me the boy, I can deal with his family. You get handsomely paid with revenge on Flynn Rider and I get what I want. Everyone will be happy."

Darrek hesitated. Farren raised an eyebrow in question. Darrek thought he could hear his brother warning him about the last time they had gone into such a deal with someone for the very same reasons.

"No."

The answer was out without a second thought. Darrek watched the stranger's face become impassive. Farren glanced between the brothers.

"We don't need you. We'll find the boy ourselves. We'll do things _our_ way." Darrek stated flatly.

Farren's mind raced. Maybe, just maybe he might get them after all. He shrugged. "You've done a marvelous job already. Pity. I could have guaranteed good results for you right now."

Farren walked slowly around the fire toward his lantern. Darrek and Henrik shared an angrily confused glance. Darrek strode around to the front of Farren and Henrik stood behind him. Farren looked up a Darrek, just a few inches shorter than the red haired man.

"What sort of results?" Darrek demanded.

Farren reached into his robes and pulled out a medium-sized pouch. He tossed it a little ways away, near the fire. The pouch opened on impact and gold coins spilled out. Darrek and Henrik rushed to the bag and began picking up the coins, putting them into the pouch. Farren picked up his lantern, watching. Darrek let Henrik put the coins back into the pouch and stood to face their mysterious benefactor.

"What do we do?"

Farren pointed into the forest. "A day's walk in that direction will bring you near the tower that once imprisoned the Lost Princess Rapunzel. The boys will go there. Find them and capture them. If you do well, you might receive ten times more than what you have now."

Darrek smiled humorlessly. "And what about the boy's friend?"

Farren waved arrogantly. "I don't need him. Do what you want."

Darrek narrowed his eyes. "How do we find you once we have the boy?"

Farren smiled coldly. "Oh, don't worry. I'll find you."

And with that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, lantern and all.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Farren watched as the Stabbington brothers hastily doused their fire and jogged off into the forest toward Rapunzel's tower. Farren smiled to himself. Fools.

He waited a moment more before continuing on his original path. The night wore on as he walked and midnight soon passed. After a few confusing twists and turns to ensure he was alone, he approached a dense thicket of trees and briars. Ducking through the well hidden entrance, he half-crawled through a short tunnel before standing upright once more. Before him was a small one room stone house. Farren pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Inside, he hung the lantern on a hook next to the door. The rest of the house was cloaked in darkness but a sixth sense told Farren that someone else was in the room with him.

"Hargis." Farren said to the darkness.

There was the sound of flint and steel striking each other as a candle flared to life on a table in the middle of the house's room. On the other side of the table stood a brawny man. He was dressed in furs and had a round shield on his back. Long unkempt brown hair and a braided beard encircled a scarred face and cold eyes.

"Farren," the man said. His gruff voice was thick with an accent from foreign lands. "You're late."

Farren went to the table and sat down in one of the chairs there.

"I had a not altogether unpleasant meeting with some willing thugs. I've hired them."

Hargis went red in the face with rage. "You've gone and what? Didn't I tell you I'd take care of it? You said nothing about sharing the treasure!"

Farren glared coldly at the burly man. They stared each other down, but in the end it was Hargis who looked away first.

"You said nothing about botching the job." Farren said icily. "If your men had been more careful, I'd have both of the royal children by now!"

Hargis ground his teeth in embarrassment. He sighed breathily. Farren waved his hand.

"Besides, I don't need them for long. I want them to get the boy. After that, _you_ may deal with them in whatever way you like. But I need the boy and his parents."

Hargis scoffed angrily, but his temper had subsided.

"Now, for the real matter at hand." Farren said.

Hargis pulled out one of the too small chairs and sat down. What on earth had possessed him to work for _this_?

"My men have done a great deal of work. The project is going as planned." He pointed a finger at Farren. "But we need more time. We're running low on supplies. We're not woodworkers."

Farren put his hands together, finger tip to finger tip. There wasn't much time left until full moon. It was vital to get it done before then. As for supplies and workers, there weren't many places to get those.

"Fine. Do what you need to, but I want it done in three days. No more."

Hargis nodded. He reached for a small grey orb on the table next to the candle. Farren looked up and his eyes grew wide.

"NO! Don't touch that!" He cried.

Hargis withdrew his hand as if it had been burned. He glared accusingly at Farren. Farren stood and gingerly lifted the orb and put it into his pocket with a relieved eye roll.

"These are vital to my plan." Farren growled. "Do you know how many years I spent collecting them? If anything happens to them, I'm ruined."

Hargis eyed Farren critically. The man is cracked, Hargis decided.

"I'll leave then."

Farren watched him, upset. "Yes, do that. And finish the project. Three days, Hargis."

Hargis nodded, seemingly disinterested, but in his mind he was already calculating the work effort. He opened the door and left. Farren sat down again and rubbed his temples.

_If everything goes well,_ Farren thought, _it will be worth it._


	12. Attacked!

I've been really inconsistent with my chapter posting ( I only ever to seem to make Tuesdays … ), plus I keep hitting problems while writing. I think I've got the kinks worked out and I should be able to write, type and post faster now. Thank you all for your incredible patience with me! And thank you for your support!

Side note: Poor Phillip only shows up in four or five chapters. Sorry if you get too attached to him; he won't be around overly much!

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By morning, Derek was feeling rested and still a little sore, but his scratches no longer stung. The smaller ones had even begun to scab. When Derek woke, he felt for just a moment that he was home at the castle, lying in bed. And then the moment ended.

Derek sighed as he sat up. They needed to move on today. Something kept nagging him in the back of his mind. Something that told him there wasn't much time left. Derek stood carefully so as not to disturb Thomas or Pascal. Tab lay on his side facing the cave wall. Quietly, Derek walked to the entrance of the cave and splashed a little water on his face from the waterfall. He went back into the cave and stoked the small pile of embers and put a few sticks on, just enough that they could have a warm breakfast.

By the time everyone had wakened, Derek had taken from his satchel some bread and cheese which he warmed and everyone ate. By then the sun was full up in the morning sky.

"What's our destination today?" Tab queried.

Derek fed Pascal a handful of grapes. Thomas and Tab waited expectantly for an answer.

"I was thinking of going to…to Rapunzel's Tower."

Pascal squeaked questioningly. Derek pulled out his maps. Carefully, he laid them out. Tab and Thomas came closer to examine them. On the right of both maps was the main island of Corona. The rest of the Sun Kingdom was on the left and ran the off the edge of the paper. On Derek's map, there were half a dozen scribbled icons with labels. Two - the Treehouse and Waterfall Gulch - were crossed off. An icon up near the top left of the map was labeled Rapunzel's Tower.

"There has to be a reason…" Derek broke off.

"A reason for what?" Tab asked.

Derek glanced up at Tab. The man's face was stern and his eyebrow was raised. Derek disliked that look. He often got it from Eugene and sometimes Rapunzel. It always meant that the parent knew their child was in trouble without anything being said.

"Nothing." Derek hurried to say. But the damage was already done.

Tab shifted to sit cross-legged and crossed his arms. His face remained stern and his gaze never left Derek.

"I think there's something I need to know here, _before_ we go chasing after treasure or whatever."

"It's not treasure!" Thomas rebuked.

Tab looked at Thomas who looked down sheepishly.

"Er, well, I mean…" Thomas muttered.

"We're looking for my sister." Derek interjected. He couldn't handle it anymore.

Tab's face softened and he turned to Derek. Derek's face was wet with tears.

"She was kidnapped and I know something's going to happen and I promised Grandfather I would watch over my family and I don't even know where she is!" Derek cried. "And now my parents don't know where either of us are and I don't know if I'll see my family again!"

Derek had stood and clenched his fists at his sides. He was sobbing now. He turned and fled outside the cave. Tab and Thomas called after him, but he didn't listen.

~~~~o0o~~~~

They found Derek sitting under a tree some ways into the forest. Tab and Thomas had carried Derek's things with them. Tab crouched next to Derek and held out the boy's satchel. Derek sniffed and took it.

"Thomas, would you mind picking me some berries from that bush over there? Thank you."

Tab watched Thomas go with Pascal. He sighed as he turned and sat down with his back to the tree. He and Derek sat there a moment before Tab spoke.

"You know, you could have told me before." Tab said gently.

Derek wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffed. "You wouldn't understand."

Tab looked down at his hands and then at his own staff and blanket next to himself.

"I don't know about that…" Tab said.

Derek looked up questioningly, turning his head to look at Tab.

"Wha - what do you mean?"

Tab inhaled and let out a sigh. "I lost my family a long time ago."

Tab looked away as a single tear trailed down his cheek. He wiped it away before Derek could see it. Derek looked at this man in a new light. Tab had been married. He'd had a family! Derek remembered the way Tab had ruffled his hair, all the admonishing, the stern looks, the whole fatherly atmosphere. It made sense now.

"Did you have kids?" Derek whispered.

"A daughter. She was just a baby. Her name was Summer." Tab smiled sadly as he remembered.

By now Thomas and Pascal had returned. They were both sitting next to Derek, enraptured by Tab's story.

"What happened?" Derek pressed.

Tab ran a hand over his staff. "There was a fire. I had left my home to gather more wood for my shop. When I returned, the village was ablaze. All that was left of my home was ashes. I never saw my wife and child again." He paused. "So I've been roaming ever since, looking for work."

Tab got up to kneel on one knee in front of Derek.

"We'll find your sister, Derek. I promise."

He was surprised when Derek got up and hugged him, but he returned it all the same. He patted Derek on the back.

"Alright then. To Rapunzel's Tower."

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek held Tab's compass in the palm of his hand, consulting it as he walked. Tab had given it to him so that he "knew which direction to go and could always find his way." Right now, they were well on their way to Rapunzel's Tower. It was a little before midday yet. Derek guessed that sometime tomorrow they'd reach the Tower.

Of course, they'd had to circumnavigate a lot of the ravine's steep walls to find a path straight enough, but the detours wouldn't hinder them too much anyway. When they stopped to rest, Derek pulled out his maps.

"What's this?" Thomas asked. He pointed out what looked like little squiggles on the official map of the kingdom.

Derek glanced between his map and the other. He racked his brain for a name.

"Of course! It's the canyons!" Derek said. He looked at his map with a look of concentration. There was something familiar that bugged him about the canyons, something almost … dreamlike. "But…I don't remember father saying much about them in his stories. I don't even have a name on my map."

"They look pretty close," Tab mused.

"I remember the older fishermen talking about them." Thomas said slowly. "They said that six years ago or so the dam in the canyons broke and flooded them. They said the rivers were running a little higher when it happened. But, aren't there also mines there?"

Tab nodded, thinking. "I believe there used to be, but nobody goes there anymore. No gold."

"We should probably avoid the canyons," Derek said. "And the mines. If it's still flooded, I don't think there'll be much there."

Derek folded his maps as he spoke. They all gathered their things and continued walking. As they walked, a feeling of danger began to settle on their minds.

"It's so quiet," Thomas whispered.

They all paused to listen.

"Something's not right…" Tab muttered.

And that's when the first barbarian appeared.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Phillip clutched his spear tighter. Why did it have to be so dark in the forest? He glanced around nervously and licked his lips. Why hadn't he just stayed at the castle?

When he had got that note from his sweetheart Maggie he'd been so giddy. Of course, he had only needed an excuse to go see her. But when Prince Derek and Thomas had told him he should go see her, he had hesitated. Nonetheless, the boys had cajoled him into locking the bedchamber door and going.

And like a fool, he'd actually gone.

He only half regretted it, naturally. After all, he'd had a nice dinner with Maggie and then they'd watched the stars and fallen asleep in each other's arms. However, the second he'd returned to the castle early the next morning only to find the prince and his friend gone, guilt had filled him. Then fear and a determination to find the boys and fix the mess he'd made drove him out into the forest.

So now here he was: lost, hungry and alone. Whatever boldness that had kept him going stupidly into the forest was gone now. He didn't even know where he was. _Stupid,_ Phillip thought to himself.

A flock of sparrows burst out of a bush in front of him, scaring a scream from his lungs. He picked up the spear he'd dropped and shakily wiped his forehead. A sound reached his ears and he paused. He listened; it was faint. By all rights, he probably shouldn't have heard it, but the silence of the forest and his heightened senses combined allowed him to make out yelling.

Phillip scanned the trees, searching for the source of the sound. He started running through the trees in the direction he thought he'd heard it come from. Tree branches whipped at his head while bushes clawed at his legs and torso. Tightly grasping his spear, Phillip ran. The yelling gradually grew louder and the sound of metal striking metal came as well. Then Phillip heard a voice he'd not expected to hear: Derek. Phillip put on an extra burst of speed and broke out of the forest trees to see a pack of barbarians trying to corner Derek.

He halted and surveyed the scene before him. Thomas and Derek were together and there was another man fighting to protect them. Fear knotted Phillip's stomach. For a cowardly second, he felt like turning to flee into the forest. Angrily, he crushed the thought and gathered up as much courage as he could.

"Phillip is here, Derek!" And he threw himself into the fray.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek's head snapped up and he searched for the familiar voice. He smiled when he saw Phillip flailing his spear at the confused barbarians. _Good,_ Derek thought. _Let them think there's more of us._ What everyone failed to notice was one of the barbarians slinking off to call for help.

Derek waved his little knife in the air to slice at an outstretched hand. Thomas - who stood at Derek's back - used Derek's sling to fend off the barbarian thugs. The leather strap emitted a '_snap!'_ every time Thomas loosed a stone. Pascal squeaked angrily from his bag where he'd been stuffed for protection. Tab stood near the boys, swinging his musical staff about him, knocking heads; butting and prodding none too gently.

As Derek fought with Thomas, a glimmer of hope began to flame in his heart. They were winning! And then Tab got hurt. Derek heard him cry out in pain and as he turned to look, he watched Tab get shoved to the ground. A barbarian lifted his sword for a down stroke. Thomas loaded his sling and let a stone fly. It hit the barbarian square in the jaw, knocking him flat. Derek and Thomas rushed to Tab's side and helped him stand.

"Derek, you and Thomas need to get out of here!" Tab shouted.

He ducked under a sword and jabbed with his staff, keeping his right arm stiffly at his side. Derek saw the ripped sleeve and bloody cut on his arm.

"We can't leave you and Phillip here!" Derek cried.

The ground rumbled as another group of barbarian thugs ran into sight.

Phillip jostled his way over to Derek. "Derek! You and Thomas get out of here!" His words echoed Tab's.

Derek glanced between the two fighting men and he nodded. They nodded back. With a yell, they threw themselves into the barbarians. Thomas turned, grabbing Derek's arm to make him run. A barbarian appeared in front of them and they split to get around him. Derek ran one way and Thomas another.

Derek ran until his breath was coming in ragged gasps. His satchel bounced violently on his hip with every step. He looked over his shoulder and saw no one. When he looked back, he saw the low branch too late.

There were stars, a sharp pain and then his world went black.


	13. Gypsies

Sorry for the late chapter. Lotta stuff going on. I'm typing at 9:00 PM! So I'll just post whenever I get done with a chapter. Sorry guys. Here's chapter 13. Enjoy!

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When Phillip woke, the first thing he noticed was his pounding headache. His wrists stung and the hemp rope bit into his skin hard. His hands were tied behind him to a tree.

He closed his eyes against the pain until he heard someone grunt nearby. He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. A little ways to his right was a small campfire with three barbarian thugs sitting around it. A fourth was standing with a cask under his arm. They were laughing and chatting, deep into their drinks. Someone groaned again.

"Hello?" Phillip whispered. He grimaced as his headache flared.

"Wha? Who's that?" Someone murmured.

Phillip craned his neck to look over his shoulder. He tried to see around the tree, but all that was visible was someone's shoulder, arm and leg.

"It's Phillip. Who's that?"

"Phillip?" The person on the other side of the tree groaned slightly as they maneuvered. Phillip's ropes tightened, then slackened. "It's Tab…What happened?"

Phillip tried to remember. In his mind's eye he could see himself fighting the barbarians. And then … nothing.

"I think they clubbed us," Phillip whispered. He kept his eye on the thugs, trying not to move too much as he spoke.

There was silence on the other side of the tree. For a second Phillip thought Tab had fallen unconscious, but Tab asked, "Did Derek and Thomas get away?"

Phillip looked around. "Well, they're not here at least."

Tab shifted and Phillip's ropes tightened. Tab groaned.

"Are you alright?" Phillip asked.

"Yeah, never better." Tab grunted.

But his breath was coming in huffs and behind the tree where Phillip couldn't see, his arm was red with dry and oozing blood and he felt slightly feverish.

"We need to get out of here." Phillip whispered. Their guards at the fire laughed and Phillip carefully looked their way. "But how?"

Tab closed his eyes and lay his head against the tree. His mind was feeling extremely clouded. His arm stung. The cut wasn't very deep, but it could still get infected if not treated soon. He shifted and something poked into the small of his back. He opened his eyes, trying to figure out what the object was.

"Phillip," Tab hissed.

"What is it?"

"My whittling knife. They didn't take it. It's tucked into my belt, under my shirt. Can you reach it?"

"Can't you?"

Tab grit his teeth as he pulled at the ropes. Phillip winced in pain as the ropes bit into his wrists.

"No, my arm's too stiff and the ropes are too tight."

Phillip scooted closer to the tree. He leaned back as far as he could and tried to reach Tab's shirt. He felt around, but he couldn't grab anything.

"I can't reach it. Can you scoot closer to the tree?"

He waited as Tab shifted. Tab took deep breaths as his vision swam. He felt a little lightheaded. Phillip reached again. This time he could feel Tab's shirt but couldn't grab it.

"Almost."

One of the barbarians shifted to look back at the prisoners.

"Die. Quick!" Tab hissed.

Phillip let his head fall forward so his chin tucked uncomfortably into his chest. The barbarian eyed them until he was brought back into his comrade's conversation. Soon they were laughing and drinking again, their prisoners forgotten. Phillip resumed his attempts to grasp Tab's whittling knife. Again, all he could feel was the man's shirt.

"I can…only get the shirt." Phillip whispered.

He glanced over at the barbarians. They were finishing off the cask of liquor and standing up, ready to put out the fire. Panic, hot and desperate, blossomed in Phillip's chest. He jerked his arm back swiftly and roughly, grasping Tab's blade with his fingers. At the same time, his shoulder popped and a sharp, fiery pain shot through his shoulder. Phillip groaned aloud in pain as he grasped the whittling knife.

This time, the barbarians all turned to look at the two men tied to the tree. One of them approached. His gait was unsteady and wobbly. He stood before Phillip, a drunken sneer on his lips.

"This one's awake." he slurred. "Should I club him?"

The thug cracked his knuckles and chuckled. His friends at the fire consulted each other.

"No, we'll be going soon anyhow." One of them called too loudly. His accented words were thick with slurring.

The thug standing over Phillip looked genuinely disappointed as he turned and went back to the fire. Phillip let out the breath he was holding. His heart beat fast with fear. He grasped Tab's whittling knife in his fist and sawed frantically at the ropes. His shoulder throbbed with pain as he worked; he grit his teeth, concentrating on his work. At last there was a soft '_snap!_' and his bonds loosened immediately.

"I'm free."

He slipped his hands from the ropes and looked over his shoulder.

"Tab?"

Tab didn't answer. Phillip glanced over at the barbarians. They were unsuccessfully trying to put out their fire. Phillip got into a crouch and duck-walked around the back of the tree to Tab. He sawed through Tab's ropes and freed his hands.

"What - what are you doing?" Tab murmured.

He was half in and half out of consciousness. Phillip glanced up at the barbarian thugs again. They were gathering their things. Phillip grunted as he picked up Tab, putting his uninjured shoulder under the man's left arm.

"We're going." Phillip whispered. He began walking quickly.

The barbarians turned and stood there stupidly staring at the empty tree, shock pasted on their drunken faces. After a few moments, they were shouting angrily. Phillip quickened his pace, half-dragging Tab with him.

"Put me down…" Tab said.

"No! I'm not going to leave you!" Phillip panted.

"I'm…just slowing…you down."

"But…"

"Go find the boys." Tab whispered.

Phillip staggered as Tab shoved him forward and dropped to the ground. Phillip caught himself before falling and stood. He turned to look behind.

"Go!" Tab shouted.

Phillip turned and ran into the forest while clutching his left arm and dislocated shoulder. He didn't look back but with every step his heart grew heavier. At last, too tired to keep running, he stopped to catch his breath. He looked around, unsure of where he was. A twig snapped behind him and he turned around. Everything went dark as a cloth sack was thrown over his head.

"Wha - hey!"

Phillip weakly struggled, but someone tied his hands in front of him and so Phillip stopped. Reluctantly he let his captors lead him.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek dreamt that he was flying and drifting through the air. Then he dreamt of settling on a cloud and everywhere there were angels, singing and caring for him. It was not long before he woke from his dream and was brought back to reality.

Instead of lying on a cloud, he was lying on a heap of furs in a semi-dark cave lit by a few candles. Instead of angels, there was a young girl sorting clothes not too far from him near the covered entrance of the cave. There was still singing, but it came from outside the cave and Derek couldn't hear the words. He looked around. His gaze fell on the young girl. Her back was to him. As he watched, she turned around and Derek's heart raced. She looked up from her work and their eyes met.

She wore an ankle length dress and a semi loose fitting shirt. A tasseled shawl was wrapped around her waist and her curly brown hair was tied back by a bandanna. Her bright green eyes twinkled with interest above her button nose and Derek couldn't help but stare.

She raised an eyebrow and set down the clothes she was holding. Turning, she padded barefoot to the cave entrance and ducked past the entrance furs of the cave. Derek blinked several times to make sure he wasn't still asleep. Before long, the girl returned with a plump older lady.

"See? He's awake." The girl pointed out.

"Yes, he is awake," The woman said. She turned to the girl, smiling. "Go fetch the other one."

Derek watched the girl go before looking up at the woman. She was middle aged, Derek decided. Her striped red dress and the faded tan apron she wore were almost too small for her stocky frame. Her dark hair was tied up and a bandanna was tied around her hair as well. A smile dimpled her kind face.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

Derek propped himself up and his head throbbed slightly. He remembered running through the forest and then, well, darkness.

"Uh, I guess." Derek faltered.

At that moment, Thomas burst through the fur covering the cave entrance. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. When he saw Derek, he grinned and raced to his friend's side.

"Derek! You're alright!"

The two boys laughed and hugged briefly.

"You hit yourself pretty hard." Thomas said. "And you were bleeding."

Derek reached up and felt his brow. From a small cut, a bit of scabby dried blood flaked off on his fingers.

"What happened to you?" Derek questioned.

Thomas shrugged. "They found me wandering the forest looking for you."

"And you've got clean clothes." Derek added. "And _you_ look clean, too."

Thomas grinned. "Yep. I got a bath. And so did you."

Derek suddenly realized he wasn't wearing his old clothes. He looked up behind Thomas to see the girl and the woman watching them. Derek's face instantly grew hot as he blushed.

"Alright Thomas, I think your friend might want to get out of here." The woman smiled.

Thomas stood. "Yes, Madame Roba. C'mon Derek."

"Well Master Derek, let's see if we can't stand you up. Summer, would you help Master Thomas?"

"Yes, Madame."

Derek didn't believe his ears. "Summer?"

Summer glanced up at his face questioningly as she helped him stand. Derek's head hurt slightly, but he felt fine otherwise. He realized Summer was still holding his arm and he blushed again.

"Come Summer." Madame Roba said.

Summer shot Derek a puzzled look before accompanying Madame Roba to the cave entrance. Madame Roba pushed aside the fur and Derek squinted against the uncertain afternoon light. He looked around as he and Thomas stepped out into the open. All around him, a band of gypsies was camped in the forest. Some were singing or dancing or playing instruments while others were sitting at fires and talking. Children ran about, laughing.

"Wow," Derek breathed.

Madame Roba smiled. "Come then Master Derek. We'll find you somewhere to rest. Tonight we will have a small feast to celebrate your arrival."

"Wait, celebrate?" Derek asked.

His questions went unheeded as Madame Roba and Summer led him and Thomas through the gypsies. As they passed, the gypsies would stop what they were doing and tip their heads in a smiling greeting followed by a courteous, "Master Derek."

"What's with the 'Master Derek' stuff?" Derek whispered to Thomas.

Thomas smiled guiltily. "I, er, told them who we were."

"What?"

Madame Roba stopped at a small fire with a couple logs in front of it. "Please, rest here. We'll eat in a little while."

Derek sat down with a log to his back, letting the fire warm his bare feet. Thomas sat next to him. Derek watched Summer as she and Madame Roba turned and left. He glanced around, taking in everything. At a fire nearby he saw a man in loose fitting clothes stirring the contents of a cauldron. He winked at Derek and smiled.

"I've never been in a gypsy camp before." Derek said.

"Me neither." Thomas conceded.

The man at the cauldron walked over with a piece of bread. He split the bread and handed the halves to Thomas and Derek.

"Something to chew until later." He said.

"Thanks Mr. Fonso." Thomas said.

Fonso chuckled. "No mister. Just Fonso, Master Thomas."

Derek instinctively felt that he liked the man.

"I didn't know there were gypsies in Corona." Derek said.

Fonso shrugged. "This is the first time we've been in your kingdom. We just perform for the local folk. Singing, dancing; that sort of thing. We'll not stay here long. We never do."

Derek nodded and took a bite of the bread. He looked around and his gaze fell on Summer. She was passing a handful of clothes to a man standing in the gypsy's wagon. A small child walked up to her and handed her a wildflower. Summer smiled and bent over to receive the bloom. Derek compared Summer to the gypsies around her.

"Summer seems…different from everybody else." Derek mentioned.

Fonso looked up at Summer. "Aye, that she is."

Derek watched Fonso.

"What do you mean?"

Fonso scratched his chin. "Well, we found her right near eight years ago. Poor tyke, all alone. Weren't anyone around so Madame Roba took her in, you see. Raised her as one of her own." Fonso sighed. "Eh. It makes me feel old Master Derek."

Fonso chuckled and returned to his cauldron. Derek mulled over this information quietly. Before he could ponder too long, three gypsy men walked into camp. They were leading a bound man with a sack over his head. Madame Roba went to meet them amidst murmurs of consternation. One of the men removed the sack and Derek instantly recognized his bodyguard's face.


	14. Onward

Chapter Fourteen from where we left off.

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Derek leapt to his feet. He needed to make sure nothing happened to Phillip.

"Phillip! Phillip, over here!"

Phillip faced Derek, a look of relief on his face. Derek was stopped short by a gypsy who held him back.

"Let me go!" Derek cried.

Madame Roba glanced up at Phillip, then at Derek.

"You know this man?" she asked.

"He's my bodyguard."

Madame Roba looked up at Phillip with a look of understanding and interest. She didn't seem to approve of his security methods. But nonetheless, she asked for his hands to be untied. The gypsy holding Derek let go and Derek ran to hug his bodyguard. Phillip winced and hissed in pain. Derek took a step back, concerned.

"What's wrong?"

Phillip half smiled through his pain. "My shoulder's dislocated."

The same gypsy who had held Derek stepped forward. "May I?"

Phillip nodded. Derek winced sympathetically as Phillip's shoulder audibly popped back into place. Phillip groaned happily.

"See to his arm, please. A friend of Master Derek is always welcome among us." Madame Roba said.

As Phillip was being led away, Derek called, "Where's Tab?"

The look on Phillip's face told him everything he did and did not want to know. He sullenly walked back to his log and sat down. Thomas came and sat next to him.

"We need to go." Derek murmured. "We _have_ to keep looking."

"But Derek, it's almost totally dark and we don't have Tab with us anymore." Thomas argued. "We don't even know where to go next."

"The tower." Derek said after a pause.

"What tower?" a voice asked.

Derek and Thomas started at the voice. They looked over their shoulders to see Summer hanging a blanket over a tree branch.

"No tower," Derek said. He and Thomas shared a glance.

Summer fixed a fold in the blanket.

"Hm. That's funny. I remember a tower back there." She motioned nonchalantly.

Brushing off the blanket, she turned her radiant green eyes on the boys.

"Your friend is coming. Madame Roba wanted to make sure his arm was set properly. She said everything is ready for the celebration, so we'll eat soon."

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Girls," Thomas muttered, turning away.

"Yeah…girls." Derek said, watching Summer go.

Shortly after, Phillip joined them, his arm in a sling. By then the sun was down and the first of the stars were beginning to shine. The whole clearing was lit up by pole-torches and a fire here and there on the edge of the clearing. One fire lay in the center of it all. Madame Roba appeared and stood with her back to the center fire, facing everyone. She looked around, smiling.

"Friends, family, and guests -" she bowed in Derek's direction. "- we are honored with the presence of one of Corona's royals, young Prince Derek."

There was a general cheer and applause.

"As short notice as it is, we have prepared a small feast to honor you, Master Derek."

Derek blushed and stuttered his thanks. Fonso clapped him on the back.

"The lad's speechless!"

Everyone laughed good-naturedly. Madame Roba waited for the noise to die down. Someone handed her a cup and she raised it in Derek's direction.

"To the Prince's good health!" She toasted. "And may good fortune follow him in all he sets out to do!"

The gypsies echoed her and cheered as the food was brought out. The feast was small, but the food tasted better than anything Derek had eaten in a while. As Derek, Thomas and Phillip ate, the gypsies played instruments and a few sang songs. Fonso picked up a mandolin and strummed it a few times, faster and faster until everyone had turned to watch.

Fonso strummed a couple of bars and then began tapping his foot as he strummed out a wild jig. The gypsies cheered when a man stood and began to dance. Everybody clapped their hands to the beat as the man danced faster and faster. Fonso strummed the last few bars and everyone cheered him and the dancer.

A chant was started by the children and was soon taken up by a few adults as well.

"Sing a song! Sing a song! Sing a song!"

Derek looked up to see Summer stand amidst cheers.

Fonso leaned in close to Derek and Thomas. "Oh, you're in for a rare treat, lads. None's got a finer voice than that lass."

Everyone hushed their neighbor to hear Summer sing. A mandolin accompanied her.

Sweetly and softly

The gentle wind blows,

Bearing lace wings

Like gossamer snow

Over the fields

And into my home.

The Butterfly of Spring is here.

All through the seasons

Of beauty and sun,

She flies through green pastures

Where once I had run,

Preparing the world

For Summer has come.

The Butterfly of Spring is here.

As the last note faded, Derek's mind stirred with familiarity. Somewhere he had heard that tune before. His mind was brought back to the present as everyone clapped for Summer.

A couple of children began dancing and soon everyone was laughing and eating again. A pretty young woman grabbed Phillip's good arm and pulled him into the dancing, despite his protests. Derek smiled, but inside he was feeling anxious. Summer's song had awakened his sense of dread.

"Thomas," Derek said.

Thomas didn't hear.

"Thomas!" Derek said a little more forcefully.

Thomas turned and saw the look on his face.

"Derek, you're not leaving are you?"

Derek half shrugged and fingered the lip of a cup in front of him.

"Derek, it's dark and we don't have anyone to guide us. We don't even have our things."

"Well, I'll find them. But I don't want to go alone." Derek pleaded.

Thomas looked down and then around at the festivities around them.

"Derek, let's just stay." he said quietly.

Disappointment pulled at Derek's heart. "Fine. I'll go alone."

Phillip returned just then, Pascal sitting on his shoulder.

"Look who I just found." Phillip smiled.

He gently removed Pascal from his shoulder, setting him on the ground. Pascal was smiling lopsidedly and hiccupped. Phillip laughed.

"I found him near the wagon. Looks like he had too much fun."

Phillip swayed slightly. _He's not the only one_, Derek thought.

"Phillip, where's Madame Roba?"

Phillip looked down at Derek. Happy, but curious, he asked, "Why?"

"I-I wanted to thank her for all this." Derek lied.

Phillip was suddenly swept away by another young gypsy girl and he got caught up in more dancing. "By the wagon!" Phillip laughed.

Derek dodged around the merry dancers toward the wagon. He found Madame Roba in the lee of the wagon enjoying a meal with some children. She was telling them a story and they giggled. Derek watched and listened. He smiled, remembering his father telling him Flynnagan Rider stories. Madame Roba looked up and smiled warmly at Derek.

"Ah, say hello to Master Derek young ones."

"Hello Master Derek," they chorused.

"Madame Roba, I…wanted to speak with you."

Understanding flashed in her eyes. "Run along little ones. Go enjoy the music and dancing."

She hurried them along until she and Derek were alone.

"I wanted, er, to thank you for all…this." Derek began.

"But something else is bothering you." Madame Roba said. Her kind, but admonishing look told Derek to tell the truth.

"I need to leave. It's - it's not that I don't appreciate what you've done for me and Thomas and Phillip, but… well, I need to go."

"You need to keep looking for your sister."

"But how did -" Derek started, confused.

Madame Roba gently took Derek's arm and sat him down.

"Your friend is very loyal to you Master Derek. To find such a friend is to find a treasure." Madame Roba said gently. "He told me your reason for leaving your parents and your home."

She held up a hand and shushed him gently, keeping him from protesting.

"You need to find your sister Master Derek. You do not need my permission to go." She smiled kindly. "But I was hoping you would say goodbye first."

Derek smiled sadly and nodded. "I will go."

"What about your friends?"

Derek's face fell. "Phillip will just take me back to the palace. I can't go home yet. And Pascal is a good friend, but I think it would be better here with Phillip. Can you take care of them for now?"

Madame Roba raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. "Just this once."

Derek nodded, continuing, "Thomas doesn't want to go. I shouldn't have even dragged him out here anyway. I don't think he wanted to come at all."

"I _do_ want to go Derek." Derek looked up at Thomas who stood at the corner of the wagon. "And you didn't drag me out here. I came with you because you're my friend. You needed help and I want to help you."

Derek stood and hugged Thomas.

"Thanks."

"Your belongings are in the wagon." Madame Roba said.

She followed them around to the ladder steps and they ducked through the cloth doorway. Derek ducked under some pots and bumped into something.

Summer squeaked in fright as she rebounded off Derek.

"Summer!" Thomas cried aloud.

Madame Roba lit a candle which illuminated the wagon's interior.

"Summer, were you eavesdropping?" She scolded.

Summer kneaded the shawl around her waist, a look of determination and embarrassment on her face.

"I want to go, too."

"No, you can't come." Derek stated.

Summer straightened herself and clenched her fists at her sides. She glared at Derek. "And why not?"

"We're not…I mean, you can't because -"

"Because I'm a girl?" Summer challenged.

She took a step forward, her green eyes blazing.

"Look, you know things I want to know. I saw you when you learned my name." She turned to Madame Roba without pausing. "Please, Madame. I want to go. I want to find out who I am; where I come from."

Madame Roba sadly sat down on a stool, setting the candle aside. Summer walked up to her and, kneeling, took her hands.

"Please, Madame," Summer said softly. "You've given me all I could ever ask for. You've been a mother to me." Summer hugged Madame Roba. "But I need to know." Summer whispered.

Madame Roba returned the hug and squeezed her affectionately just before pulling away. She rubbed her eyes.

"It's the least I can do for you, my child. You will always be welcome here."

Madame Roba stood. "Grab some food, supplies, whatever you may need. If you know where you are going, I will send someone to guide you partway. And may Heaven protect you."


	15. The Deal

Chapter Fifteen is ready! I'm trying to finish the rest of the fanfic. We're getting close to the end!

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Fonso met the trio out in the forest with a pack of his own and some blankets which he gave to the children. Without a word, they started off through the darkness in the direction of Rapunzel's Tower. In the dark of the early morning it was slow going. As soon as the sun's first rays came through the trees, Derek pulled out his map and Tab's compass. There were still three places on his map - including the tower - that were still uncrossed. Fonso pointed out one that was somewhere nearby. Making a quick detour, they found a hollowed out oak and collected what was inside: some money and a little black stone with a white marking.

After their detour, they continued walking. When they finally stopped, it was time for Fonso to leave. Fonso made them eat some food and rest.

"I can only take you as far as here." Fonso said. "Your bodyguard and…pet will be safe with us, but they will come looking for you." He patted Derek on the shoulder. "Good luck and goodbye."

He said goodbye to Thomas and Summer and then left for the gypsy camp.

"Now what?" Thomas asked.

"Now we need to get to the tower." Derek answered.

Summer looked around. "I think I know the way from here."

She set off and the boys followed without argument. They walked for nearly and hour and a half before Summer stopped. It was midmorning then.

"I think it's around here," Summer said, unsure. "I think."

They looked around, but didn't see anything. No tower, only a tall wall of rock.

"Derek, did your father say anything about the story in his stories?" Thomas wondered.

Derek looked around thoughtfully. "I think so. Something about…hidden paths."

He walked up to the rock wall and ran his hand through the vines. With a gasp, he almost lost his balance and fell through the vines into the hidden entrance to the tower.

~~~~o0o~~~~

_Two Hours Previous_

After leaving the Snuggly Duckling, Rapunzel, Flynn, Max and the Ruffians had searched the forest. They searched the familiar places and the not-so-familiar places. They had even tried several of Flynn's hideouts near the shore, but everywhere they looked there was no sign of Sera, Derek or Thomas. Rapunzel was trying to keep calm, but it was getting increasingly difficult.

Now they were sitting around a fire in the early morning. Flynn suggested they search at Rapunzel's Tower.

"Why go to the tower?" Hookhand questioned.

Flynn shrugged. "Well, the last story I told Derek was about the tower. He might have gone there."

They sat there silently, watching the fire crackle and pop.

"We should look," Rapunzel said suddenly.

She looked to Flynn. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Flynn brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. He looked up at Hookhand.

"Then it's decided."

They reached the tower by sunrise, searching for the secret entrance and ducking through the vine curtain to reach the clearing. As they walked in, the sun came up and silhouetted the tower, but soon its warm light brightened everything.

Rapunzel's breath caught in her chest. She clutched Flynn's arm and he supported her.

"It's been so long…" She whispered.

As Flynn looked up at the tower, his mind went back six years ago and he felt as if he were actually there again running from an angry palace horse named Maximus.

Time had been harsh to the tower. The roof was missing shingles and some wood had rotted away. Gaping holes had let the sunlight and rain in. The tower itself was missing stones here and there and some were cracked. Vines had grown up over the bottom half of the tower, coating it with a thick, leafy blanket.

In the dim light, the scene before them looked sad and desolate, not at all like it had once been.

Max whinnied, bringing everyone back to the present. Flynn and Rapunzel walked around the tower with Hookhand. The others spread out and searched outside. The secret entrance of the tower was open from when Gothel had pulled the stones and it was dark. They entered and made their way up the stairs within the tower, emerging through the floor.

Inside the tower seemed worse than it actually was. Rapunzel walked around, sadly touching the world she had once known. For 18 years, it had been _all_ she had known. The sunlight had bleached the painted walls and the paint was chipping. Glass was still strewn across the floor and the mirror still where it had been knocked over. Moths had eaten holes through all the fabric in the tower and a thick layer of dust coated the furniture.

Rapunzel wiped an eye and turned to Flynn. He hugged her comfortingly.

"We need to find them." Rapunzel quavered.

"We will." Flynn replied.

They left the tower after making sure it was empty. Once outside, Hookhand wanted to know where they would go next.

"We'll just keep following it the way it happened. Like the story." Flynn said. "To the mines."

They headed for the mines, unaware of the eyes that watched them.

~~~~o0o~~~~

The Stabbington brothers had reached the tower at midday the next day after speaking with Farren. They had waited nearly twenty-four hours at the tower and were seriously beginning to doubt whether or not Rider's son would show up at all. Until Flynn Rider himself showed up.

The Stabbington brothers had watched Flynn Rider come with the Ruffians and his wife, Rapunzel. They had watched from the shadows of some boulders as they came, searched and left. It annoyed Darrek that he couldn't go out and greet Rider personally. But Henrik had silently kept him back. This short visit spurred their hopes momentarily, but two hours later they were on the verge of leaving.

And that's when young Rider appeared.

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek stared up at the tower with a twinge of fear. His mother had grown up here? It didn't register in his mind that that had been six years ago and the tower had been cared for then.

The three children walked around the tower, searching for a way in. At the dark doorway of the secret entrance, they hesitated but entered nonetheless. When they entered the tower's main room far above, they looked around in awe.

The walls were covered in paintings - although chipped and faded - and the inside looked bigger than the outside. Derek caught sight of a painting on the wall above a fireplace. The painting was dirty. Derek walked forward to get a better look and accidentally crushed a piece of glass. He looked down at the mess of broken glass and the tipped over stand. The whole story had been slightly fuzzy before, but now it came to him.

~~~~o0o~~~~

_Flynn Rider leapt over the sill into the window. There, chained on the floor was Rapunzel. Flynn called out to her, but the witch Gothel snuck up behind him and stabbed him with a quick thrust of her dagger._

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek looked at the long, dusty thing on the floor. He realized it was his mother's once golden hair.

~~~~o0o~~~~

_Rapunzel had convinced Gothel to let her heal Flynn, but she would have to remain with Gothel forever. She began to cover Flynn's wound with her hair. Flynn protested, but Rapunzel quieted him._

"_Rapunzel," Flynn whispered._

_Rapunzel leaned in toward Flynn and with one stroke, Flynn had grabbed and cut Rapunzel's healing hair._

~~~~o0o~~~~

Derek looked up at the window.

~~~~o0o~~~~

_Gothel clutched up Rapunzel's hair, trying to save it, but it turned brown and useless. Before Flynn and Rapunzel's eyes, she aged hundreds of years before tripping over the very hair that had kept her alive and she tumbled out of the window…and disappeared._

~~~~o0o~~~~

They spent a few minutes looking around before meeting again in the main room.

"Any clues?" Derek questioned.

Summer and Thomas shook their heads. Aside from moth eaten clothes, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the dilapidated tower.

"There has to be something here." Derek said.

"There is."

The gruff voice startled the trio and they spun around to face the intruders. In Summer's hand a small dagger glinted in the dusty light. Thomas and Derek cast her a quick glance. Neither boy had seen her draw it.

The Stabbington brothers came out of the floor and blocked the exit, trapping the children.

"The Stabbington brothers…" Thomas whispered.

"We've been expecting you." Darrek said.

"What do you want, and why were you waiting for us?" Derek demanded suspiciously.

Darrek chuckled. "We've heard about your problem."

"What's he talking about?" Summer hissed at Derek.

"Does he mean -" Thomas began.

"Sera." Darrek smiled.

Derek glanced between his friends and then the Stabbington brothers.

"What do you want?" Derek repeated.

Darrek and Henrik shared a glance. "We want to make a deal with you. We'll help you if you help us." Darrek said.

"No! Don't do it!" Summer hissed. She glared at the two men before her.

Thomas glanced at Derek who shrugged apologetically.

"What…what sort of deal?"

"Derek!" Summer turned her glare on him.

Darrek smiled. "A mutually beneficial deal."

Darrek walked over to the window, leaned on the wall and crossed his arms. Henrik remained in front of the exit.

"We've been following you." That was only half true. "We've noticed that you don't have anyone to protect you out there." That was mostly true. Now to clinch the deal. "We'll protect you and your friends if you do something for us."

Warning bells were going off in Summer's head. Derek and Thomas were looking at each other dumbly. _Boys_, Summer mentally growled. Time for her to ask some questions.

"And what would he have to do?" Summer demanded.

"A favor." Darrek replied.

"Ha!" Summer growled.

"Give us a moment." Derek said.

Darrek and Henrik shared a confused, albeit satisfied glance. Derek, Thomas and Summer huddled just a little ways from the Stabbington brothers.

"How could you Derek?" Summer hissed between her teeth.

"What was I supposed to do?" Derek whispered angrily.

"Say no!"

"And then what? Ask him to hold me for ransom?"

"Well you could have thought of something!"

"Guys!" Thomas interrupted.

"What?"

Thomas blinked in surprise as they both turned to him. "He does have a point. We _need_ someone to help us."

Summer opened her mouth to protest, but Derek interrupted. "Thomas is right. Every time we go out alone, we get captured by…whoever it is who tried to kidnap me before."

"Before?" Summer asked skeptically.

Derek raised an eyebrow.

Summer hesitated and then agreed with an angry huff of breath. "Fine. See what he wants. But I don't like it."

The huddle broke up and they all turned to the Stabbington brothers.

"It's agreed." Darrek and Henrik smiled. The smile disappeared as Derek continued. "But I have some conditions. You both have to stay where we can see you so you don't sneak off and leave us in the forest or something."

Darrek started to protest, but Derek continued.

"I also want to know what favor I'm supposed to do for you." He paused. "And I want to know your names. Your _real_ names. All your posters just have your last names."

"Our what?" Darrek asked, confused.

Summer sighed, annoyed. "Your names!" She rolled her eyes and Thomas smiled at Summer's lack of fear of two legendary bandits.

Darrek looked at Henrik. _He's definitely a Rider._ Henrik's eyes said. _I guess we can tell them our names._ Harmless enough, Darrek agreed.

"He's Henrik. I'm Darrek."

"Just like _your_ name, Derek!" Thomas said excitedly.

Derek smiled.

_Only boys_, Summer rolled her eyes again.

"And the favor?" She asked, taking charge.

"When we need one, we'll let you know." Darrek growled at Summer.

Summer snorted derisively. "Why should we trust you? Who says you haven't been paid to kidnap us?"

"But we have been paid." Darrek said.

He pulled out the purse of coins they'd gotten from Farren and held it up. There, on the bag, was the sun of Corona.


End file.
